Polygon Foundation co-founder and key contributor, Sandeep Nailwal, has officially assumed the role of CEO of the Polygon Foundation, marking a major shift in the leadership and strategic direction of the Ethereum scaling protocol. Nailwal’s appointment signals a hands-on, aggressive approach to drive Polygon through its next chapter, what he describes as a “0-to-1” phase requiring bold decisions, rapid execution, and crystal-clear focus.
The announcement was made via Nailwal’s personal X account, where he laid out his vision for the protocol, upcoming product milestones, and ecosystem alignment. This leadership change arrives at a time when Polygon is flush with resources, boasting a “healthy treasury” and “several hundred million in cash,” eliminating the need for fundraising distractions.
Deprecation of zkEVM and Focus on Core Products
One of the most headline-grabbing changes is the planned deprecation of Polygon zkEVM in 2025. Polygon is now doubling down on two flagship initiatives: Polygon PoS and Agglayer. This marks a pivotal simplification of its product suite to ensure deeper investment in what Nailwal calls “trustless Internet of Blockchains” and scalable payment infrastructure.
- Polygon PoS will shift its focus toward Stablecoin payments and Real-World Assets (RWAs).
- Agglayer will drive the vision of a modular, trustless blockchain interoperability layer, enabling seamless communication across multiple chains.
This move isn’t a pivot away from ZK technology but rather a reframing. Zero-knowledge (ZK) research will continue through independent initiatives, such as Polygon ZisK, now led by Jordi Baylina, to maintain innovation while narrowing Polygon’s operational scope.
Massive Performance Upgrades Coming to Polygon PoS
Polygon PoS is set to undergo a technical evolution with its Gigagas roadmap, designed to significantly enhance scalability and performance. The first upgrade is already live on testnet, pushing throughput past 1,000 TPS (transactions per second), with plans to cross 5,000 TPS and eventually scale to 100,000+ TPS in the next few years.
The performance upgrades include:
- <1 second finality
- Zero reorgs
- Enhanced economic efficiency for validators and stakers
These changes are expected to increase the economic viability of the Polygon protocol, directly benefiting POL token stakers. Nailwal envisions a system capable of supporting high-volume, high-frequency applications at a global scale.
Agglayer v0.3 and Breakout Program to Drive Growth and Airdrops
Polygon’s Agglayer v0.3 is slated to roll out in the week of June 30th, and will be nearly feature-complete, with fast interoperability expected by Q3 2025. According to Nailwal, Polygon is now in “massive shipping mode,” reflecting an aggressive product development cycle.
Complementing this, the Agglayer Breakout Program will continue to spin off projects from within the ecosystem. These breakouts serve two purposes:
- Refocus efforts on Polygon PoS and Agglayer
- Deliver massive airdrops to POL stakers, adding financial incentives to protocol loyalty
Nailwal reaffirmed that Polygon remains deeply invested in ZK research, but will manage it from a more neutral and open-ended structure rather than in-house monopolisation.
Regulatory Clarity, Brand Realignment, and Market Liquidity
With the SEC dropping its investigation into MATIC, Polygon finally has regulatory breathing room. Nailwal expressed confidence that MATIC, and its successor POL, were never securities to begin with. As a result, major market makers are returning to the POL ecosystem, improving liquidity and global exchange support.
The Polygon Foundation is also launching educational campaigns to assist users in transitioning from MATIC to POL, reducing confusion and ensuring smooth adoption.
Another key decision is the rebranding of Agglayer under the Polygon umbrella. Previously presented as a neutral product, Agglayer will now visibly align with the Polygon brand identity, streamlining marketing, messaging, and ecosystem cohesion.
A Return to Startup Mode: Bold Moves Over Bureaucracy
In his message, Nailwal reflected on the evolution of Polygon from a research-driven protocol to a product-oriented network. He lamented that while past efforts to “institutionalise” Polygon brought stability, they also introduced inefficiencies. Now, with the market shifting and Ethereum itself facing foundational challenges, Nailwal believes it’s time to revert to a startup mindset.
He described the current moment as a “0-to-1” stage a high-stakes, high-reward environment that requires:
- Speed
- Risk tolerance
- Decisive leadership
Polygon’s current executive lineup includes:
- Marc Boiron (CEO, Polygon Labs)
- Mudit Gupta (CTO)
- Ryan Wyatt (COO)
With this leadership and a more focused structure, Nailwal believes Polygon is ready to dominate the next phase of crypto adoption and infrastructure development.
Sandeep Nailwal’s return to active leadership of the Polygon Foundation is a defining moment for the project. From narrowing the product roadmap to realigning branding and shipping high-performance upgrades, the new direction is bold, fast-paced, and intensely focused on execution.
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