Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has criticized Ethereum’s leadership for dismissing Polygon’s status as a true Ethereum layer 2, highlighting the contributions Polygon has made to Ethereum despite receiving little recognition.
Nailwal, who also serves as the Polygon Foundation’s CEO, expressed that he is now “questioning his loyalty” to Ethereum, particularly toward the Ethereum Foundation and the broader community. According to him, Polygon has not received any direct support from these groups. “In fact, the reverse,” Nailwal stated in a post on X on Monday, adding that he has remained loyal to Ethereum even though it may have cost him billions of dollars in Polygon’s valuation by not branding the project as a layer 1.
“The Ethereum community as a whole has been a shit show for quite some time,” Nailwal said. He suggested that the “Ethereum community needs to take a hard look at itself.”
### Vitalik Buterin Responds
Nailwal’s comments prompted a response from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who acknowledged Polygon’s achievements within the Ethereum ecosystem. Buterin highlighted that Polygon hosts the largest prediction market platform, Polymarket, and has made significant advancements in zk-EVM technology, among other contributions. He also praised Nailwal’s personal efforts with CryptoRelief, which has funded biomedical infrastructure and research in India.
However, Buterin maintained that Polygon does not qualify as a true Ethereum layer 2 due to the absence of a proof system that provides the security guarantees expected of layer 2 solutions. He noted that Polygon could adopt existing zero-knowledge (ZK) technology to enable such proofs, pointing out that this technology has improved significantly and now offers proving costs as low as $0.0001 per transaction.
### Industry Criticism of the Ethereum Foundation
Nailwal is not alone in his criticism of the Ethereum Foundation (EF). The EF has undergone significant leadership changes over the past year, accompanied by public expressions of frustration from various key figures.
Nailwal referenced a post by former EF researcher Péter Szilágyi, who shared an 18-month-old letter detailing his dissatisfaction with the organization. Additionally, Eric Conner, one of Ethereum’s earliest developers, left the project in January, citing concerns with Buterin’s leadership decisions.
Nailwal also received support from prominent figures outside Ethereum’s ecosystem, including Solana co-founder Raj Gokal and former Solana Foundation head of strategy Austin Federa. Both suggested that Polygon could consider partnering with Solana or even becoming a layer 2 on the Ethereum rival network.
### What’s Next for Polygon?
While Nailwal has not yet responded to Buterin’s comments, the discussion underscores ongoing debates about the future of Ethereum’s layer 2 landscape and Polygon’s place within it.
Polygon’s potential to adopt zero-knowledge proof technology could strengthen its position as a layer 2 solution, but it remains to be seen how the relationship between Polygon and the Ethereum community will evolve in the coming months.
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*Related: Solana founder brews up new perp DEX ‘Percolator’*
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