Polygon implements hard fork to fix bug that caused 15-minute transaction finality delay

Polygon has executed a hard fork to resolve a software bug that caused up to 15-minute transaction finality delays on its proof-of-stake network this week. 

According to updates on Polygon’s (POL) official X account, the issue first appeared on Sept. 10. A bug in Polygon’s node software that impacted validator synchronization was identified as the cause of the disruption. 

Ethereum (ETH) checkpointing and block production were unaffected, but users experienced delays in reaching “local fast finality,” a milestone system that is essential for network transaction confirmation.

A few third-party services were also interrupted by the bug. Some decentralized finance apps reported brief accessibility problems, and the primary block explorer, Polygonscan, ceased displaying updates for over five hours. Despite the slowdown, Polygon stressed that no funds were at risk and Ethereum’s underlying security guarantees remained unaffected.

Polygon hard fork fixes bug

To address the problem, developers prepared two critical updates, including Bor v2.2.11-beta2, covering the block production layer, and Heimdall v0.3.1, which required a hard fork to restore consensus and state synchronization. The fork was executed on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. UTC, bringing milestones and checkpointing back to normal operation.

Following the upgrade, Polygon confirmed that consensus finalization was fully operational, with the team monitoring the network closely to ensure stability. The native token of the ecosystem, POL, experienced a 4% decline during the disruption but quickly rebounded.

Continuous development amid ecosystem growth

This is the second major technical issue Polygon has encountered in 2025. When a validator exit compelled RPC node resynchronization in July, the Heimdall component momentarily stopped finality.

Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has since reiterated that network upgrades remain central to the project’s push toward what he describes as “GigaGas throughput,” targeting long-term scalability comparable to global payment systems.

Polygon has cemented its place in Web3 infrastructure despite recent setbacks. The network facilitates billions of foreign exchange transactions and is a leader in stablecoin and real-world asset adoption. The blockchain also hosts the recently uploaded GDP data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.