Mihailo Bjelic, a key figure in the creation of Polygon, the prominent Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution, is stepping down from his active roles within the project. Bjelic confirmed his departure from Polygon Labs and the Polygon Foundation board on Friday, citing a natural evolution of visions that no longer aligns with his ability to contribute fully.
“As projects evolve and mature, it is natural for visions to evolve, and sometimes diverge. With this in mind, I can no longer contribute to Polygon to the best of my abilities,” Bjelic shared on X, while affirming his confidence in the current Polygon leadership and expressing continued support from the sidelines.
Bjelic was instrumental in co-founding the network, originally known as Matic Network, in 2017 alongside Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal, and Anurag Arjun. Polygon has since grown to become a significant player in the blockchain space, known for its extensive contributions to research and development, particularly in the areas of zero-knowledge proofs and proof-of-stake mechanisms.
His exit marks the latest departure among Polygon’s founding team, with Kanani and Arjun having also transitioned from active roles on the network approximately two years ago.
Sandeep Nailwal, another Polygon co-founder, acknowledged Bjelic’s contributions on X, stating, “More than a co-founder, you’re a brother. From the earliest days — whiteboards full of ideas, endless whitepapers, governance frameworks, strategy calls deep into the night — you have been a force behind so much of what makes Polygon.”
