Polygon Co-Founder Launches ZisK, Shifts Focus from zkEVM

Polygon co-founder Jordi Baylina has launched ZisK, an independent project focused on developing open-source zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVM). This initiative marks a significant shift in the blockchain ecosystem, as ZisK aims to address scalability and privacy concerns through low-latency, real-time cryptographic proving. The project has been spun off from Polygon zkEVM, with all code and intellectual property transferred to SilentSig GmbH, a Swiss-registered company led by Baylina and a team of seven developers.

ZisK's development began with a year-long incubation period within Polygon Labs before achieving full independence on June 13, 2025. The zkVM stack is designed to enhance the efficiency and security of blockchain transactions, making it a foundational layer for next-generation decentralized applications. By focusing on real-time cryptographic proving, ZisK intends to provide a more robust and scalable solution for blockchain verifiers, addressing issues such as high transaction costs and slow processing times.

Baylina, who remains an advisor and co-founder at Polygon, will now concentrate his efforts on ZisK. The project's open-source nature ensures wide adoption and integration into various blockchain platforms, fostering innovation and collaboration within the industry. This move aligns with Polygon Foundation’s strategic pivot away from zkEVM infrastructure toward its Proof of Stake (PoS) and AggLayer platforms.

Polygon Foundation has begun deprecating its zkEVM chain, which was acquired from Hermez in 2021 for $250 million and rebranded as zkEVM. Despite the high acquisition cost, the chain failed to integrate Ethereum’s EIP-4844 blob support and faced declining network usage and performance. The decision to sunset the chain was finalized in June 2025, with current activity data reflecting a drop in adoption. Active addresses stood at only 1,030, with transaction counts at 3,480 per day and throughput dropping to 0.01 Mgas/s.

Polygon is now prioritizing its PoS chain, with a major upgrade scheduled for July 1, 2025. The Bhilai hard fork, set to activate at block #73440256, is expected to increase network throughput above 1,000 transactions per second. This upgrade aims to improve block finality and processing consistency, positioning Polygon PoS as the primary scaling solution within its ecosystem. The move to consolidate and streamline the network’s architecture comes as part of a broader effort to maximize throughput and lower latency on its PoS infrastructure.