Leadership Shift at Polygon as Co-Founder Mihailo Bjelic Steps Away

Polygon Co-Founder Mihailo Bjelic Steps Away from Day-to-Day Role

Mihailo Bjelic, one of the co-founders of Polygon, has announced his departure from the board of the Polygon Foundation and is stepping back from his daily responsibilities at Polygon Labs. The move, revealed on May 23, 2025, marks a significant shift in the leadership of the Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution.

Bjelic cited “diverging visions” as the reason for his decision, explaining that as blockchain projects evolve, it’s natural for perspectives to differ. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided to leave the Foundation’s board and reduce my involvement in daily operations,” Bjelic said in a public statement. Despite his exit, he emphasized that his passion for the crypto space remains strong and hinted at future endeavors within the industry.

With Bjelic’s departure, Sandeep Nailwal becomes the last actively involved member of the original Polygon founding team. Co-founders Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun had previously left the project in 2023.

Nailwal and other team members expressed gratitude for Bjelic’s contributions, highlighting his role in shaping Polygon’s growth and success. “Mihailo was a driving force behind much of what Polygon has accomplished,” said Nailwal.

Founded in 2017, Polygon emerged as a leading Layer 2 platform designed to enhance Ethereum’s scalability by lowering transaction costs and increasing throughput. Bjelic played a key role in its research, development, and strategic direction.

Following the news, Polygon’s native token, MATIC, saw a slight dip, trading around $0.2365—a 2.39% decline over the previous 24 hours.