Polygon moves away from decentralized governance
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has officially become the first CEO of the Polygon Foundation, marking a significant shift from the project’s earlier decentralized governance model. This leadership move comes as Polygon navigates intense competition in the layer-2 blockchain space.
According to the foundation’s announcement, Nailwal will now take full executive control over the Polygon ecosystem, including Polygon Labs and other related initiatives.
Strategic shift to streamline operations
“Polygon was born out of bold execution and ambitious goals,” said Nailwal. “From 2021 to 2023, we institutionalized the project—brought in co-founders, created a board, and focused on deep technical research. Now, it’s time to move fast, with full conviction and focus.”
The executive overhaul comes at a critical time. Polygon’s native token, POL, remains down more than 80% from its all-time high, based on CoinMarketCap data. The ecosystem is seeking to regain momentum and sharpen its technological edge.
Polygon Foundation doubles down on AggLayer
A top priority under Nailwal’s leadership is AggLayer, Polygon’s interoperability protocol designed to connect fragmented blockchain networks. AggLayer v0.3 is expected by the end of 2025 and will be more tightly aligned with the Polygon brand.
In parallel, the foundation will phase out the zkEVM chain by 2026. The decision stems from performance and scalability challenges that limited developer adoption.
PoS chain to become a high-speed “GigaGAS” network
Polygon is also upgrading its proof-of-stake (PoS) chain into what it calls a “GigaGAS” network, capable of exceeding 100,000 transactions per second. The upgrade is part of a long-term vision to handle global-scale payments and secure trillions in tokenized assets.
Another milestone is the upcoming Bhilai upgrade, scheduled for July. It aims to reduce gas fees, speed up transaction finality, and integrate directly with AggLayer. Polygon already counts major firms like JPMorgan and Stripe among its partners in payments innovation.
Multiple co-founders step away from Polygon
Nailwal’s rise to CEO follows a gradual co-founder exodus. On May 24, Mihailo Bjelic announced his departure from the Polygon Foundation board and ended his day-to-day involvement with Polygon Labs. Over the past two years, fellow co-founders Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun also stepped away from the project.
Why it matters
With Nailwal taking the helm, Polygon is entering a new phase focused on unified leadership, network upgrades, and a refined product vision. The foundation aims to solidify its position as a leading layer-2 blockchain solution in an increasingly competitive landscape.
