Polygon [POL] to $15: How ZK-rollups will power the next wave on Ethereum

Key Takeaways 

Will ZK-rollups power Ethereum’s next wave?

Due to their scalability, cost reduction, and faster transactions, ZK-rollups were poised to steer the next wave of ETH.

Can Polygon hit $15?

POL could hit $15, but the target remained for the long term.

Zero-knowledge (ZK) rollups are transforming Ethereum’s [ETH] scalability by reducing congestion on the mainnet, lowering costs, and increasing transaction speed. 

Polygon [POL] (previously MATIC) is one of the chains adopting this technology. Overall, Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) networks are nearing a new all-time high in Total Value Secured (TVS).

ZK-rollups and Ethereum’s next wave

For broader context, TVS across Ethereum Layer 2 networks recently hit $49 billion—just shy of the previous $50 billion peak.

Rollups dominated this figure, contributing nearly the entire amount, while Layer 2 scaling solutions Validiums and Optimiums accounted for only $163 million, highlighting rollups’ clear lead in the scalability race.

Back in the 2021 market run, TVS growth was largely driven by DeFi and speculative trading. These days, the momentum stems from more than 101 active L2s, the widespread use of stablecoins for payments, and their growing role in real-world transactions.

Source: L2Beat

This suggests that ZK-rollups could power the next wave on Ethereum. To be specific, POL was becoming more than experimental tech and a production infrastructure in 2025.

Decoding activity on Polygon’s network

At press time, Polygon’s Total Value Secured (TVS) stood at approximately $20 million, down from its late 2024 peak of nearly $120 million. Ethereum and its derivatives accounted for the largest share of TVS, followed by stablecoins.

According to L2Beat, network activity has been steadily rising over the past year. However, Ethereum still leads in average operations, with 1.59 million compared to just 5,740 on Polygon zkEVM.

Despite this, Polygon outperformed the Ethereum mainnet, operating three times faster and at one-tenth the cost.

The network now supports around 45,000 decentralized applications (dApps), holds $1.15 billion in Total Value Locked (TVL), and recently peaked at 16 million daily transactions, according to Token Metrics.

Weekly DEX volume reached $1 billion, driven largely by real-world asset activity, as reported by CoinMarketCap.

Source: L2Beat

This cost reduction has accelerated payment activity on ZK-rollups, particularly on Polygon. Peer-to-peer (P2P) volume hit a new high of $5.05 billion in September.

Meanwhile, exchange reserves of Polygon’s native token POL have declined, reaching a new low of 18.361 million, according to CryptoQuant. This suggests traders are buying and withdrawing tokens from centralized exchanges (CEXs).

POL price analysis and prediction

On the charts, POL price was moving inside an ascending trend channel. A breakout above $0.30 could spear POL toward its previous year’s high at $0.75.

The $15 target seemed unrealistic in the short term but valid in the long run. The last quarter of the year could see a rally toward $0.75, replicating last year’s bull run.

Source: TradingView

Altogether, ZK-rollups could power the next wave of Ethereum, with Polygon positioned to be at the center of this dynamic. That said, the $15 target remained viable if POL repeats the 2021 rally that saw it reach $2.90.