Polygon’s native token – recently rebranded from MATIC to POL – has seen a rollercoaster ride in the crypto markets. From its humble beginnings worth mere fractions of a cent, to a meteoric rise during the 2021 bull run, and back down to earth in the prolonged crypto winter, POL’s price history is nothing short of dramatic. Many investors are now asking: with all the development and upgrades in the Polygon ecosystem, is POL overdue for a price rise? In this comprehensive analysis, we’ll dive into POL’s historical performance, market sentiment and technical indicators, tokenomics and the MATIC-to-POL rebrand, and short- vs long-term price projections (with charts!) to get a clearer picture. Let’s explore this with a blend of fun and technical insight – strap in for a ride through Polygon’s universe!

Historical Price Performance of Polygon (MATIC/POL)

Polygon (MATIC/POL) historical price chart, 2019–2025. Note the rapid rise in 2021 and subsequent decline.

Polygon’s token was originally known as MATIC, launching in 2019 at an extremely low price (around $0.003 per coincoinlore.com). For much of 2019 and 2020, MATIC traded under a few cents – relatively under the radar. Things changed dramatically in the 2021 crypto bull market. MATIC became a market darling, soaring from under $0.10 in early 2021 to about $2.5 by May 2021 and even hitting an all-time high around $2.83–2.92 in December 2021coinlore.comcoingecko.com. This massive increase (tens of thousands of percent gain from launch) put Polygon in the spotlight as one of the top-performing altcoins of that bull run.

However, the subsequent bear market was harsh. Throughout 2022, MATIC’s price sank along with the broader crypto downturn. By June 2022, it traded back down near $0.40, erasing a huge portion of its gains. A relief rally later in 2022 brought it close to $1, but it never revisited the $2+ highs before the bear market resumed. In 2023, Polygon saw only modest rebounds (peaking around ~$1.5 in early 2023) before facing further declines. By the end of 2023, MATIC hovered around $0.60, and with the prolonged bear sentiment into 2024, its price continued to grind down.

As of mid-2025, POL trades in the $0.20–$0.30 range, roughly 90% below its all-time high. In fact, at ~$0.23 in May 2025, POL was back to prices not seen since early 2021, essentially round-tripping much of its 2021 bull run gains. This stark drop has led some to speculate that Polygon is oversold and undervalued at current levels. After all, Polygon’s technology and ecosystem have advanced significantly since 2021 – yet the token price hasn’t reflected that lately. Is the market behind on pricing in Polygon’s progress?

To understand if a “catch-up” rally is overdue, let’s examine the current market sentiment and technical indicators for POL.

Market Sentiment and Technical Indicators

The market sentiment around POL has been lukewarm over the past year, especially compared to other blockchain projects. Polygon’s MATIC was a superstar of 2021, but by 2023–2024 it significantly underperformed relative to peers. In the 12 months up to early 2024, MATIC’s price was down about 32%, even as other layer-2 tokens like Optimism (OP) and Arbitrum (ARB) saw major gainsen.cryptonomist.chen.cryptonomist.ch. Analysts noted that MATIC may have been “overvalued” during the 2021 hype, and its subsequent underperformance was a reality check, while newer layer-2 solutions stole the limelighten.cryptonomist.ch. Additionally, fierce competition (Arbitrum became the go-to trading chain for many users, outpacing Polygon in DeFi activity) dampened enthusiasm for Polygon’s tokencoindesk.com.

Sentiment on crypto forums also turned bearish as prices fell. (One Reddit user even lamented “I have lost 90%+ of the USD value I put into Matic in 2024,” illustrating the frustration among holdersreddit.com.) Furthermore, regulatory overhangs – such as U.S. SEC scrutiny of certain tokens (MATIC was named in mid-2023 SEC actions) – hurt U.S. investor confidence. All these factors contributed to a pessimistic mood around Polygon’s token for much of 2023–24.

On the bright side, technical indicators now suggest POL might be oversold. According to recent analysis, Polygon’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) hit very low levels; for example, a 14-day RSI around 25 indicates oversold conditionsaltindex.com. Such low RSI readings imply that selling may have been overdone, and a bounce could be likely as bargain hunters step in. In fact, MVRV (Market Value to Realized Value) metrics from on-chain data back this up – the 365-day MVRV for MATIC/POL dropped to around -34.8% recently, meaning the average holder is 34% in loss, a level that historically signals undervaluation and a possible bottomcoingape.com. Santiment data notes that MVRV this negative often precedes a rebound, as investors realize the asset is trading well below its fair value.

Other momentum indicators offer mixed but hopeful signals. The moving averages had been in a bearish alignment (“death cross” with the 50-day MA below the 200-day MAaltindex.com), reflecting the downtrend. However, if POL’s price can break above key resistance (analysts cited ~$0.70 as a major resistance from previous highsaltindex.com), it would flip the trend bullish. On shorter timeframes, bullish divergences are appearing – for instance, while price made lower lows in early 2025, the daily RSI made higher lows, hinting at weakening seller momentum. Additionally, an analysis from AltIndex in January noted that MACD momentum had turned positive (MACD line crossing above signal line), suggesting a trend reversal might be brewingaltindex.com.

Overall, market sentiment has been cautiously shifting from extreme fear to a more neutral stance. Many who dumped POL earlier are now on the sidelines, and any piece of decisively good news could spark FOMO (fear of missing out) again. The technical picture – oversold and bottoming indicators – provides some optimism that POL is like a compressed spring. But what fundamental changes support a bullish thesis? Enter tokenomics and Polygon’s major upgrades.

POL’s Tokenomics and the MATIC→POL Rebrand

Polygon’s new POL token logo. The rebrand from MATIC to POL reflects Polygon 2.0’s expanded vision.

One of the biggest developments for Polygon was its token upgrade and rebrand. In September 2024, Polygon executed its long-planned transition from the MATIC token to POL, as part of the Polygon 2.0 roadmapcoindesk.com. This wasn’t just a cosmetic name change – it came with significant tokenomic and functional upgrades to empower the next phase of the Polygon ecosystem.

First, the basics: existing MATIC holders received POL at a 1:1 ratio (no change in immediate value). POL now serves as the native gas and staking token for Polygon’s main chain (Polygon PoS) and is designed to eventually secure all Polygon networks in an **”aggregated” multi-chain environmentcoindesk.compolygon.technology. In other words, POL is meant to be a unifying token across Polygon’s growing web of chains (Sidechains, zk-rollups, etc.), providing interoperability and shared liquidity in what Polygon calls the Aggregation Layer.

This upgrade also introduced new tokenomics. Notably, whereas MATIC had a fixed supply, POL has a modest annual emission (inflation) of 2% over a decade (subject to community governance)polygon.technology. This 2% yearly inflation is split: half goes to validators as staking rewards (bolstering network security), and the other half to a community treasury for ecosystem development grantspolygon.technology. The rationale is that a small controlled inflation can fund growth and security – potentially increasing the long-term value of the network, even if it slightly increases token supply. Importantly, Polygon implemented this with community consensus and retains flexibility to adjust or halt emissions based on needspolygon.technology. It’s worth mentioning that Polygon’s network also burns a portion of fees (through EIP-1559 on Polygon), which could partially offset inflation, helping POL maintain a healthy supply-demand balance.

From a utility perspective, POL is envisioned as a “hyperproductive” token, meaning it can do much more than just pay feespolygon.technology. In future phases, POL will enable holders to participate in multiple roles across Polygon’s ecosystem – for example, staking on various chains, providing security to new app-specific chains, and governing the network’s evolution. The upgrade paves the way for Polygon’s staking hub (expected in 2025)polygon.technology, where POL holders could stake to secure not just one chain but potentially many Polygon-enabled chains. This multi-chain staking could amplify demand for POL if Polygon 2.0’s vision comes to fruition, as POL would be the lifeblood fueling an entire constellation of interconnected blockchains.

And let’s not forget branding: Polygon dropping the old “Matic” name in favor of POL (Polygon Ecosystem Token) is symbolic. It signals that Polygon is no longer just one sidechain with a token, but an ecosystem of solutions unified by one token. This rebrand also cleared up confusion (the project name is Polygon, so the token should reflect that). A fresh logo and name can even have a psychological effect – re-energizing the community and narrative around the token.

So, we have an arguably improved token (with broader utility and funding for growth) and an expanding network. Yet, POL’s price hasn’t popped in response – yet. With these fundamentals in mind, let’s look ahead to what the future might hold for POL’s price in the short term (2025–2026) and long term (2026–2028).

Short-Term Price Outlook (2025–2026)

Short-term POL price projection for 2025–2026 (illustrative). An overdue rebound could see POL climbing toward the $1 level by 2026.

In the short term, the big question is whether POL will finally break out of its slump and rally in line with its fundamentals. Several catalysts could ignite a price rise in 2025–2026:

• Improving Market Cycle: The crypto market moves in cycles, and many analysts expect a more bullish phase leading into 2025 (often coinciding with Bitcoin’s post-halving bull run). If the overall market sentiment flips bullish, quality altcoins like POL could benefit disproportionately after lagging. Remember, Polygon’s price is still far below its peak, so there’s plenty of upside room if confidence returns.
• Technical Reversal: As noted, technical indicators are primed for a trend reversal. A move back above key resistance (say, POL rising above $0.50 then $0.70) could trigger trend-following traders to jump in. A short-term target often discussed by traders is the $1.00 level, which is a nice round number and roughly where POL would confirm a major reversal on the charts. Reaching ~$1 by 2026 would still be less than half of its 2021 ATH, a level that might be achievable with moderate bullish momentum.
• Network Growth & Adoption: Over 2025, we’ll likely see the rollout of Polygon 2.0 features (e.g. the Aggregation Layer connecting Polygon chains, possibly new zkEVM adoption, and the launch of the staking hub). Positive developments and usage growth (more active users, higher total value locked in Polygon DeFi, popular apps launching on Polygon) can improve investor sentiment. Greater usage can also lead to more POL being staked or locked in the ecosystem, effectively reducing circulating supply on the market.
• Ecosystem News: Polygon has a track record of big partnerships (Disney, Reddit NFTs, Starbucks, etc.) and that continued even in the bear market. Any headline of a major company using Polygon or a new killer DApp can create buzz and draw in speculators. For example, in early 2025 Polygon Labs announced a collaboration with a major telecom (Jio Platforms) to bring web3 to millions of usersen.wikipedia.org – news like that reinforces the project’s credibility. As these partnerships translate to actual user activity, they build a case for POL’s value.

Considering these factors, a plausible optimistic scenario is POL gradually grinding back upward through 2025 and 2026. The dashed green line in the chart above illustrates one possible trajectory: from ~$0.30 mid-2025 to around $0.50 by early 2026, and ~$1.0 by late 2026. This would represent POL finally “catching up” some lost ground as confidence returns. Even at $1, Polygon’s market cap would be well below its peak, arguably not overvalued if the network’s fundamentals have expanded. (For context, $1 per POL would be roughly a $10B market cap if supply is ~10B tokens, which seems reasonable given Polygon’s prominence.)

It’s important to note that not everyone agrees on such bullish short-term targets. Some price prediction models are more conservative – for instance, one analysis (CoinCodex) projected POL might only be in the ~$0.34 range by 2028 if it grows very slowlycoincodex.com, and another source suggested maybe ~$0.47 as a peak in 2025 under cautious assumptions. These subdued predictions reflect skepticism that POL will rally hard anytime soon. However, those analyses may not fully account for a returning bull market or the full impact of Polygon’s upgrades. They essentially price Polygon as if it remains stagnant.

On balance, the short-term outlook for POL is cautiously optimistic. Downside appears limited by strong support in the $0.20–$0.30 zone (where buyers see deep value). Upside in 2025–2026 could materialize if the broader market cooperates and Polygon delivers on its roadmap. A reasonable target of $0.75 to $1.00 by end of 2026 is not overly ambitious if sentiment flips bullish – that would still be below the all-time high, leaving room for the long term to potentially go further. Speaking of which, let’s peer even further into the future of 2026–2028.

Long-Term Price Outlook (2026–2028)

Long-term POL price projection for 2026–2028 (illustrative). With a new crypto cycle, POL could trend back toward its previous highs by 2028.

Looking out to 2026–2028, the crypto landscape could be drastically different – and that’s where Polygon’s multi-year strategy may really shine. If we assume that crypto markets by 2026 enter a new bull cycle (historically, roughly every 4 years we see peaks), then 2027–2028 might witness exuberant conditions akin to 2021. In such a scenario, fundamentally strong platforms like Polygon have a chance to reclaim or even exceed their former valuations.

Here are key factors for POL’s long-term prospects:

• Polygon 2.0 Full Realization: By 2028, Polygon’s vision of an “Internet of blockchains” may be fully in place. POL could be securing dozens of Polygon networks (sidechains, app chains, L2s), making it indispensable and in constant demand for staking and fees across the ecosystem. This expansion of utility naturally would drive value; more usage means more fees (some burned, some rewarding stakers), and more applications means more people needing POL. It essentially positions POL as the “AWS token” of a decentralized web of blockchains – a powerful value proposition if achieved.
• Broader Crypto Adoption: As blockchain tech matures, user adoption by late decade might be far greater. Polygon is targeting mainstream adoption (low fees, user-friendly scalability), and we could see many web3 apps with millions of users by 2028. If Polygon captures a significant portion of that activity (as one of Ethereum’s premier scaling solutions), the network’s economic throughput (and by extension, POL’s value) could grow exponentially. Consider how Ethereum’s ETH became more valuable as DeFi and NFTs took off; POL could ride a similar wave as the go-to token for layer-2 activity.
• Token Scarcity vs Inflation: While POL does have that 2% yearly inflation, the flip side is a lot of POL might get locked up long-term. Stakers who secure multiple Polygon chains might lock POL for extended periods to earn yields. Also, the community treasury (funded by inflation) could use tokens for productive grants or even token buybacks in future, depending on governance. If Polygon’s ecosystem thrives, demand could outstrip the modest increase in supply, leading to upward price pressure. In addition, Polygon’s fee-burning (if network activity is high) could offset much of the emission. Long-term holders might also appreciate that Polygon chose a low inflation route (2% is relatively tame, and adjustable) to balance growth and value.
• Competition and Market Share: By 2028, Polygon will have competition from other scaling solutions (old rivals and new ones). The bull case is that Polygon remains a top choice due to its early start, robust tech (especially if the zkEVM and aggregation tech prove superior), and strong ecosystem support. If Polygon maintains a large market share of layer-2 usage, POL’s price should reflect that dominance. Conversely, if Polygon were to lose relevance by then (for instance, if some newer protocol overtakes it), that would cap its upside. Currently, however, Polygon is deeply entrenched with many partnerships and a huge developer community, which bodes well for staying power.

Given a generally positive outlook, our illustrative chart shows POL potentially climbing back toward its previous highs by 2028. An example scenario: around $1 in 2026, $2 in 2027, and possibly ~$3 by late 2028. Hitting $3 would mean returning to the vicinity of the 2021 peak. Is this realistic? If a full-blown crypto bull run occurs, triple-digit percentage gains are common – for POL, rising from ~$0.30 now to ~$3.00 would be a 10x increase, which is actually less than what many other major altcoins achieved in the last cycle. It assumes Polygon remains fundamentally strong. In a bullish cycle, a $3 POL (roughly $30B market cap) could be justified by the kind of revenue, user base, and total value locked Polygon might have by then.

Of course, these long-term projections are speculative. Some analysts are more cautious, forecasting maybe ~$1 or less even by 2030 if Polygon grows slowlychangelly.com. But that conservative view basically implies Polygon doesn’t recapture its previous mojo. Considering the project’s active development and industry connections, many crypto enthusiasts believe POL’s story isn’t over – it’s just in a dormant phase. By 2028, with another cycle of innovation, POL could very well be soaring again.

Conclusion

Polygon’s POL (formerly MATIC) finds itself at a curious crossroads. Despite significant technological upgrades, a tokenomic overhaul, and a thriving ecosystem of dApps, the token’s price has languished in recent times. History has shown, however, that market sentiment can turn on a dime. An asset that was “out of favor” can suddenly catch fire when narratives shift and fundamentals shine through.

Is POL’s price rise overdue? There are compelling signs that it just might be. The token is undervalued by traditional metrics (low MVRV, oversold indicators) while Polygon’s network continues to expand and add value. As the broader crypto market stages a recovery, investors could rediscover Polygon, attracted by its strong use case as Ethereum’s scaling champion. In the short term, even a return to modest levels like $0.75 or $1 would reward current believers handsomely. In the long term, Polygon’s ambitious roadmap – if successful – suggests the potential for POL to revisit its glory days near $2–$3, or beyond.

That said, crypto markets are unpredictable. Caution is always warranted. Polygon will need to execute on its vision and fend off competition to truly earn a re-rating in value. But for those who have done their research, the current low price of POL feels like an opportunity – perhaps a case of the market “hitting snooze” on Polygon’s progress, only to wake up later.”

In a fun analogy: POL might be that talented, underappreciated team member in the crypto “office” – quietly building and contributing, while flashier newcomers get the attention. Eventually, the manager (i.e., the market) may realize this and give POL the promotion (price rise) it deserves! For now, Polygon investors continue to watch and wait, believing that patience will pay off.

Bottom Line: POL’s overdue price rise is a real possibility, backed by solid tech and improving sentiment. Keep an eye on those charts and developments – the Polygon story is still unfolding, and the next chapters could be very exciting for its price. 🚀