Polygon POS Speed: TPS and Transaction Finality

Polygon POS uses a modified Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism that achieves block finality with every block. This is distinct from the standard PoS model where multiple confirmations are needed. The network consistently processes 32+ transactions per second on average during normal usage, and can scale to 1000+ TPS under peak demand.

Block Time and Confirmation Speed

Polygon POS produces a new block approximately every 2 seconds. A transaction is typically confirmed within 1-2 blocks, meaning most users see their transaction confirmed in under 5 seconds. Full checkpointed finality — where the state is committed to Ethereum — occurs roughly every 30 minutes, but this does not affect the user experience for typical on-chain interactions.

Comparison to Ethereum

Ethereum mainnet processes approximately 15-30 transactions per second with finality ranging from 1 to 6 minutes depending on network congestion. During the 2021 NFT boom and DeFi summer, Ethereum fees spiked to $100+ and confirmation times stretched to hours. Polygon POS handles the same volume with sub-second block times and constant low fees.

Real-World Performance

Polygon POS has maintained 99.99% uptime over five years of mainnet operation, securing billions in stablecoins and supporting global payment flows. Reddit used Polygon POS for its Collectible Avatars program, which onboarded over 36 million wallets. Stripe, Starbucks, and Mastercard all chose Polygon POS for their Web3 initiatives because of its proven reliability and speed.

TPS vs zkEVM

Polygon zkEVM currently achieves comparable throughput to Polygon POS in theory, but proof generation adds latency. For applications that need maximum raw throughput without cryptographic overhead, Polygon POS remains the better choice. For applications where cryptographic finality matters more than raw speed, zkEVM's near-instant provable finality is compelling.