Polygon Co-Founder Sandeep Nailwal Becomes CEO, Launches Bold Strategic Overhaul
Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon, has officially stepped into the role of CEO at the Polygon Foundation, ushering in a decisive new era for the Ethereum scaling network. The move comes with sweeping strategic changes aimed at streamlining operations, refocusing development priorities, and delivering more value to token stakers.
In an announcement made Wednesday, Nailwal confirmed he had assumed "unilateral control" of the nonprofit organization behind Polygon, signaling a clear departure from the platform’s previous decentralized leadership structure. The shift comes as the project looks to reorient itself around high-performance infrastructure and unified scaling architecture.
Among the most significant updates is an accelerated rollout of Polygon Agglayer, the network’s long-anticipated cross-chain aggregator. Version 0.3 is expected by the end of June, bringing the project closer to a full public launch. In tandem, Nailwal announced the transformation of the existing Polygon PoS chain into the GigaGAS chain, a new high-throughput solution capable of processing up to 100,000 transactions per second. This upgrade is already live on testnet.
Polygon will also wind down its zkEVM chain, a move Nailwal described as driven by shifting ecosystem needs and the product’s lack of strong strategic fit. While the sequencer will remain active for another year, Polygon will offer grants to help developers migrate their projects to more sustainable environments, including the upgraded PoS network.
"Polygon needs clear direction and focused execution," Nailwal posted on X. "That means stepping up."
He noted that he had previously avoided the CEO title in favor of maintaining a decentralized ethos, but said current circumstances called for strong, founder-led leadership.
This leadership shakeup comes as Polygon consolidates under a single founding voice. Nailwal is the last remaining co-founder actively involved in the project, following the recent exit of Mihailo Bjelic and earlier departures of Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun.
Originally launched as Matic Network in 2017, Polygon has been at the forefront of Ethereum scaling innovation, contributing significantly to both proof-of-stake infrastructure and zero-knowledge research. Nailwal’s new roadmap suggests a return to bold, fast-paced development with a focus on execution and long-term value creation.