Polygon (MATIC) is essentially a full-stack scaling solution that runs alongside the Ethereum blockchain network, which enables quick transactions with low fees. This, in turn, has spiked a high level of interest for developers to start building their decentralized applications (dApps) within the Polygon network.
If you are curious about how all of this works when it comes to building dApps on Polygon, keep on reading as we go over everything you need to know when it comes to building dApps on Polygon.
Key Points:
- Polygon (MATIC) is a scaling solution built for Ethereum.
- It solves the issue of high gas fees and slow transactions.
- Any developer can start and build dApps on Polygon Network.
- You can easily run a node on Polygon by utilizing NOWNodes.
What is Polygon (MATIC)?
Polygon is a scaling solution that aims to provide multiple tools which allow for efficient speed and a reduction in the cost as well as complexities associated with blockchain transactions.
As such, Polygon is a multi-level platform that aims to scale the Ethereum network through the utilization of what is known as sidechains, all of which are developed as a means of improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
To make all of this work, there’s the Polygon Software Development Kit (SDK) which is used to build Ethereum-compatible dApps as sidechains and connect them to the main blockchain.
There are Plasma CHains, which are responsible for the process of bundling transactions within blocks which are batched within a single submission on Ethereum, zk-Rollups that allow multiple transfers to be bundled within a single transaction, as well as optimistic rollups which have the capability of scaling Ethereum smart contracts.
Why dApps on MATIC?
If you’re curious why you might want to build dApp on Polygon,Polygon offers scaling and infrastructure support to Ethereum Virtual Machine-based (EVM) decentralized applications (dApps) and is not plagued by the high transaction fees and network congestion that impacts the Ethereum network.
The main reason why developers might opt-in towards developing decentralized applications (dApps) through the utilization of the Polygon network, where they would build dApp on Polygon, is due to the fact that it solves issues relating to high fees and slow speeds without putting any sacrifices within the security aspect of the network.
Additionally, Polygon enables developers to make use of decentralized cloud storage on the Akash Network, PRC providers, and even special developer packages on Tenderly, Gelato, Certora, and many others. Then there’s the access to PolyBuilders, where developers can access an internal group of Polygon Developers, Discord partners, and so on. Alongside all of this, there is also technical assistance, where anyone can ask in-house developers for advice, troubleshooting, or the best practices.
There’s also analytics support, where developers can utilize the Dune Analytics dashboards as a means of better understanding the users.
Keep in mind, however, that there’s also access to marketing support. Through Polygon’s official media partner channels, AMAs, Twitter spaces, and more, developers that decide to build their dApps on polygon gain access to their global expertise network, which includes ventures, universities, and much more.
There are also discounts on security audits from the top partner firms within the industry, which showcases how users within the Polygon community do not have to spend too much as they have support from the Polygon ecosystem.
Building dApp on Polygon
If you’re curious about how to build a dApp on Polygon, in order to get started with building dApps on top of the Polygon network, you will need to connect to Polygon first. You can use magic.js as a means of doing this, and you can use two Magic and Two Web3 instances as a means of using one for each network, Ethereum and Polygon. This way, you can switch between the two platforms with ease.
The Polygon-based dApps will allow you to switch between the Ethereum and Polygon network through the select element dropdown list. This means that you can update the instances and simply switch the network.
You can also view user balances, as the user’s public address remains the same on Ethereum as well as on the Polygon blockchain unless a different API is used for each instance. This means that a simple web3.eth.getBalance call is required for both of the networks.
You can also send transactions that work the same for the network you are connected to. All you have to do is provide the amount to send, and from and to addresses. However, if no gas or gas prices are passed, the gas limit and price are calculated automatically.
You can also call smart contracts, and to do this; you will need to deploy separate smart contracts on Ethereum and Polygon to allow users to interact with them separately. For this, you have to know the correct addresses where the contracts need to be deployed.
How to run a MATIC node?
If you are interested in running a MATIC node, you need to be aware of the fact that you can get access to one and start working on your project right away through the utilization of NOWNodes.
All you have to do to get started is to create an account, visit the documentation where you can access the library of requests, and you can connect to a MATIC node through a simple API connection.
The best part about NOWNodes is the fact that the API response time is less than 1 second, as NOWNodes monitors the state of the network 24/7 with uptime at 99.95%
How to use Polygon Block Explorer
NOWNodes as a service provides you with access to many full nodes as well as block explorers through the API. One of these block explorers is the Polygon block explorer. What you need to be aware of, as well as the fact that NOWNodes also maintains full nodes of the cryptocurrency, which in turn allows the service to draw information from them at any point in time when it is required.
Conclusion
Now you know a lot more about Polygon (MATIC) and why building dApps on Polygon could be beneficial for the realization of your project. Through the usage of NOWNodes, you can easily run a Polygon node and use the Polygon block explorer without much past experience. NOWNodes offers fast and reliable service and features a huge library of requests, which makes the overall experience as streamlined as possible.
