Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced it will suspend deposits and withdrawals for tokens on the Polygon (POL) network next week to facilitate an upcoming protocol update and hard fork.
The move is a standard operational procedure to ensure the smooth transition of assets during core blockchain maintenance. The network upgrade, dubbed the “Rio” hard fork, is a crucial phase in Polygon’s ongoing technical roadmap, targeting substantial improvements in network scalability and efficiency.
According to the announcement, the temporary suspension is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:12 UTC on October 8, 2025. The hard fork itself is expected to take place about an hour later, at the specific block height of 77,414,656, or around 14:12 UTC.
Binance confirmed that the trading of Polygon-related tokens will remain unaffected during the maintenance window, and no action is required from users who hold POL or other tokens on the exchange. Deposits and withdrawals are expected to resume once the updated network is deemed stable.
Rio Upgrade Targets 5,000 TPS and Decentralization
The Rio mainnet upgrade is positioned as a foundational change to the Polygon Proof-of-Stake (PoS) chain’s architecture. The primary objective is to enhance the network’s capacity to handle high-demand applications, with the ultimate goal of supporting up to 5,000 transactions per second (TPS).
This scaling effort is part of the network’s broader “GigaGas” roadmap, which focuses on better accommodating global payments and the growing sector of tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs).
The hard fork includes key technical proposals designed to optimize block production and validation. This includes PIP-64, the Validator- Elected Block Producer (VEBloP), which introduces a new block production model intended to increase network throughput and eliminate chain recognitions.
Additionally, PIP-72 introduces “Witness- Based Stateless Verification,” a feature that allows validator nodes to confirm blocks without needing to maintain the entire blockchain state, a change aimed at lowering hardware requirements and supporting decentralization.
While the brief pause in service may inconvenience users who need to move their tokens on the Polygon network around the specified time, the action ensures the exchange can manage all technical requirements for its users. The timeline for the reopening of deposit and withdrawal services will be solely dependent on the stability of the upgraded Polygon PoS mainnet.
Also Read: Polygon Teams Up with Cypher Capital to Expand POL Access
