Polygon Proposes Hard Fork to Return 70 Million Frozen POL Tokens
A one-time balance adjustment would move about $6.5 million in POL from five attacker wallets to verified recovery addresses for Binance and Polymarket.
Key Takeaways
- Polygon published a recovery proposal on November 4, 2026 for funds frozen after the Polymarket and Binance security incidents.
- A coordinated hard fork would return about 70.49 million POL, worth roughly $6.5 million, to verified recovery wallets.
- The proposal is set for discussion at the Polygon Protocol Governance Call on November 5, 2026 at 14:30 UTC.
- Total POL supply stays unchanged, and the change would be tested on the Polygon Amoy testnet first.
Polygon (POL) has proposed a coordinated hard fork of Polygon PoS to recover about 70.49 million POL, worth roughly $6.5 million, frozen in attacker wallets after the Polymarket and Binance security incidents in late October 2026. The proposal was published on the Polygon governance forum on November 4, 2026.
How the Polygon Hard Fork Would Work
The proposal identifies five attacker-controlled wallets. Four are linked to the Polymarket incident and hold about 23.86 million POL. One is linked to Binance and holds about 46.63 million POL. Polygon block producers already restricted transactions from those addresses, but the freeze only stops movement. It cannot return the tokens.
The hard fork would apply a one-time balance adjustment at a set block. The upgrade would remove the frozen POL from the attacker wallets and credit the same amounts to recovery addresses verified by Binance and Polymarket. The total supply of POL would not change.
What Happens Next
The proposal is scheduled for discussion at the Polygon Protocol Governance Call on November 5, 2026 at 14:30 UTC. Before implementation, Binance and Polymarket must show control of their recovery wallets, and their published security reports must match blockchain records.
Developers estimate about two weeks of implementation and testing after approval. The upgrade would run on the Polygon Amoy testnet first. Traders can follow the token on the Polygon (POL) price chart.
Why the Tokens Are Frozen
Both companies suffered security breaches between October 29 and 30, 2026, and stolen POL ended up in the five wallets. One attempt to bypass the restrictions offered about 219,450 POL in transaction fees, according to the proposal.
The proposal describes the recovery as an extraordinary measure rather than a standard procedure. Polygon PoS is one of the largest layer 2 networks in the Polygon ecosystem, and the outcome of the vote will show how far coordinated governance can go after a major hack.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polygon Hard Fork Proposal?
Polygon published a proposal on November 4, 2026 for a one-time hard fork that would move about 70.49 million frozen POL to recovery wallets for Binance and Polymarket.
How Much POL Would the Recovery Return?
About 70.49 million POL, roughly $6.5 million at the time of the proposal, from five attacker-controlled wallets.
When Would the Polygon Recovery Hard Fork Happen?
No date is set. The proposal goes to the Polygon Protocol Governance Call on November 5, 2026, and developers estimate about two weeks of work after approval.
Does the Recovery Change the Total POL Supply?
No. The one-time balance adjustment moves existing tokens between addresses and leaves the total supply of POL unchanged.
What Were the Polymarket and Binance Incidents?
Both platforms suffered security breaches between October 29 and 30, 2026, and stolen POL ended up in five wallets that Polygon block producers then froze.
Sources
- PIP proposal: recovery of funds held in blocked addresses · Polygon governance forum
- Polygon Proposes Hard Fork to Return $6.5 Million in Stolen POL · Cryptometer
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