Polygon’s co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has revealed internal discussions about potentially reviving the MATIC branding, one year after the protocol transitioned to its POL token identity. The consideration stems from observed market realities where MATIC maintains significantly stronger brand recognition despite the official rebranding effort.
Nailwal noted that during his travels, even small-scale merchants and ride-share drivers instantly recognized the MATIC name and its association with the Polygon ecosystem. This grassroots familiarity contrasts sharply with the current situation where many ecosystem participants struggle to identify or locate POL tokens following the transition.
The MATIC token originally served as Polygon’s native cryptocurrency before the network introduced POL as part of its broader 2.0 upgrade strategy. While the technical upgrade aimed to enhance scalability and ecosystem functionality, the branding change appears to have created accessibility challenges for everyday users and smaller market participants.
This potential reconsideration of branding strategy highlights the complex balance between technological advancement and market accessibility in blockchain ecosystems. The Polygon team continues evaluating how to maintain technological progress while ensuring user-friendly adoption pathways, recognizing that brand recognition plays a crucial role in mainstream cryptocurrency adoption.

