Polygon Co-Founder Mihailo Bjelic Announces Departure

Mihailo Bjelic, a co-founder of Polygon, has announced his departure from the crypto project. Bjelic shared his decision on X, stating that after careful consideration, he felt it was time for him to move on. He will be stepping down from the board of the Polygon Foundation and will gradually reduce his involvement with Polygon Labs. Sandeep Nailwal, another co-founder, will remain the sole co-founder working on the project.

Polygon, originally known as Matic, was established in 2017 by four developers, including Bjelic, Nailwal, Jaynti Kanani, and Anurag Arjun. Bjelic was instrumental in the project's technical development, contributing numerous whitepapers that advanced the blockchain community's understanding of the technology. Nailwal acknowledged Bjelic's significant contributions and wished him well in his future endeavors, describing him as more than just a co-founder but a brother.

Nailwal highlighted Bjelic's lasting impact on the blockchain, noting that many of Polygon's features were influenced by his work. He also emphasized Bjelic's firm conviction and essential role in starting the project. Nailwal expressed his support for Bjelic's future endeavors, stating that they would always cheer for him, regardless of what he does next.

Bjelic's departure marks the third high-profile exit from Polygon Labs in the past two years, following the departures of Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun. Kanani left to build the blockchain service Avail, which operates a consensus layer. Despite these departures, Polygon has continued to implement more Web3 functionality to enhance the network and improve customer service.

Bjelic's journey with cryptocurrency began in 2013 when he delved into the technology, amassing a wealth of knowledge that he later applied to the Polygon project. Polygon became one of the top scalability options on the Ethereum blockchain due to its contributions, particularly in areas such as zero-knowledge proofs and proof of stake. Bjelic's technical improvements were crucial in fulfilling his vision of a truly scalable blockchain.

However, Bjelic has found that his vision for the future of blockchain technology has diverged from that of Polygon. He attributes this to the natural evolution of projects and people, which often leads to differing paths. Bjelic believes that his changing goals prevent him from contributing to Polygon to the best of his abilities. Despite his departure, Bjelic remains optimistic about the future of cryptocurrency and is likely to be involved in future blockchain projects.