Arbitrum vs 
POL (ex-MATIC)
Two routes to cheap Ethereum transactions. Arbitrum is a rollup — it inherits Ethereum's security directly and leads Layer 2 DeFi activity; Polygon began as a sidechain with its own validator set and has been rebuilding itself around zero-knowledge technology, with POL powering an ecosystem of chains. Security inheritance versus ecosystem breadth is the core distinction.
12 months, both starting at 100 (AUD)
ARB → 55 · POL → 45| Measure | ARB | POL |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | A$1.8B | A$1.4B |
| Rank | #70 | #78 |
| Price | A$0.2542 | A$0.1284 |
| 90-day change (AUD) | +107.9% | +17.3% |
| 12-month change (AUD) | −46.4% | −56.9% |
| From all-time high | −92.9% | −93.4% |
| Supply model | Capped: 10.00B max | No fixed maximum |
| AU exchanges we verify it on | 5 | 5 |
About Arbitrum
Arbitrum is the largest Ethereum layer-2 network by activity, processing transactions cheaply and settling them back to Ethereum. ARB governs the protocol's DAO.
About POL (ex-MATIC)
POL is the staking and gas token of the Polygon ecosystem, one of the earliest and largest scaling networks for Ethereum, widely used by mainstream brands for low-cost transactions.
FAQ
Which is bigger, Arbitrum or POL (ex-MATIC)?
By market value today: Arbitrum (A$1.8B vs A$1.4B). Size measures money invested, not quality — but it does measure liquidity, which affects how easily you can buy and sell.
Which performed better this year?
Over the past 12 months in AUD terms: ARB −46.4%, POL −56.9% — the chart above shows the whole path, which matters more than the endpoints. Past performance is no indicator of future results, in either direction.
Can I buy both in Australia?
Yes — both are listed on AUSTRAC-registered exchanges we verify. ARB appears on 5 of our reviewed platforms and POL on 5. Compare costs first on the fee calculator, and remember every crypto-to-crypto swap between them is a CGT event.
Should I hold ARB or POL?
That's a personal decision we don't make for you — this page exists to make the structural differences clear so the choice is yours. What we'd say to anyone: understand what job each coin is designed for, size positions like the risk is real, and check the honest failure statistics before going further down the market-cap list.
Data from our market records (powered by CoinGecko), refreshed with the daily rebuild. General information only, not financial advice — we compare structure and history, we don't pick winners.