Polygon’s Heimdall v2 Upgrade to Slash Finality to 5 Seconds

Polygon’s Heimdall v2 upgrade, launching July 10, marks a significant technical leap for the PoS network, reducing finality from 90 seconds to ~5 seconds and block time from 5-6 seconds to ~2 seconds. The migration involves moving from Tendermint + Cosmos-SDK v0.37 to CometBFT + Cosmos-SDK v0.50, addressing technical debt from 2018/2019. While Heimdall will pause temporarily (affecting cross-chain operations), the Bor chain continues running without downtime. Node operators need 20GB RAM and double Heimdall disk space for the ~30 minute migration. The upgrade has already boosted POL token prices by 7%, with network activity surging – May saw 81M transactions (20% monthly increase). This comes as Polygon partners with India’s Jio Platforms to potentially reach 450M users.

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Polygon’s Heimdall v2 Upgrade Boosts POL by 10%

Polygon’s Heimdall v2 upgrade, launching on July 10, represents the network’s most advanced hard fork since its inception. The update transitions from Tendermint + CosmosSDK to CometBFT + CosmosSDK, slashing finality times from 90 seconds to 4–6 seconds and block times to 2 seconds. Following the announcement, Polygon’s native token, POL, surged 10% to $0.20. The upgrade enhances validator management, bridging security, and paves the way for future scalability, though a brief 3-hour checkpoint delay is expected during migration. This follows Polygon’s recent Bhilai hardfork, which boosted throughput to 1,000 TPS, supporting faster payments and Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade (EIP-7702).

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Polygon CEO Nailwal on Leadership Shift & zkEVM Closure

Polygon’s co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has taken over as CEO of the Polygon Foundation, dissolving the board and closing zkEVM to centralize decision-making. Nailwal argues that a singular leadership model is essential to overcome inefficiencies and provide clear direction for the network’s next phase. The shift marks a strategic pivot aimed at revitalizing Polygon’s competitiveness in the blockchain space, with Nailwal emphasizing focused execution as key to long-term relevance.

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Polygon zkEVM Faces $1M Loss, Development Halted: Report

Polygon’s zkEVM chain, acquired for $250M in 2021, is reportedly running at a $1M+ annual loss with development ‘quietly discontinued,’ according to researcher Lorenz Lehmann. The chain never integrated Ethereum’s Blob upgrade to reduce costs, while its TVL has plummeted 80% in 2025 to just $16.25M. The struggles coincide with leadership shifts at Polygon, including CEO Sandeep Nailwal becoming the sole active founder. Though officially slated for sunset in 2026, evidence suggests zkEVM is being wound down early as Polygon pivots to other initiatives like AggLayer and its proof-of-stake chain.

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Polygon Surges: 5.6M Active Addresses, $2.1B Stablecoins

Polygon’s on-chain activity soared in May, with active addresses reaching 5.6 million—a 16.3% monthly increase—making it the third-largest blockchain by this metric. Transaction volume hit 81 million, up 20% from April, surpassing Tron’s 67 million. Stablecoin supply grew 8.2% to $2.1 billion, reinforcing Polygon’s role in dollar-pegged asset settlements. The network also processed $141 billion in transactions, a 5.3% monthly rise. Amid these milestones, co-founder Sandeep Nailwal took over as CEO, shifting to a product-first strategy. Upcoming upgrades, like Bhilai in 2025, aim to scale throughput to 100,000 TPS for real-time payments and tokenized assets. Institutions like BlackRock and JPMorgan already use Polygon for tokenized products, with $514 billion in stablecoin transactions recorded in April 2025.

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Polygon CEO Nailwal Shifts Focus to PoS and Agglayer

Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder and largest POL token holder, has assumed the role of CEO at Polygon Foundation, emphasizing the need for faster, decisive leadership. Key changes include discontinuing zkEVM to prioritize Polygon PoS for stablecoins and real-world assets, while Agglayer aims to create a ‘trustless Internet of Blockchains.’ The Foundation is financially robust, with no immediate need for additional funding. Polygon PoS is already achieving over 1,000 TPS, targeting 5,000 TPS by late 2024 and 100,000 TPS in the coming years. Agglayer v0.3 launches in late June, with fast interoperability features expected by Q3. Nailwal cited Ethereum’s instability as a catalyst for restructuring, shifting from institutional governance to agile, user-centric strategies. ZK research will continue under independent projects like Polygon ZisK, led by Jordi Baylina.

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Polygon CEO Revamps Governance for User-Centric Crypto Future

Polygon’s governance is undergoing a transformative shift as co-founder Sandeep Nailwal assumes the role of CEO for the Polygon Foundation. Nailwal cited the need for stronger leadership to adapt to a crypto industry that has pivoted from research-centric to user-centric models. The platform’s DeFi TVL has plummeted from over $10 billion to just $1 billion, prompting a strategic overhaul. Key changes include retiring Polygon zkEVM by 2025 and concentrating development on Polygon PoS (focused on real-world assets and stablecoins) and AggLayer (aiming for blockchain interoperability). Agglayer v0.3 launches in late June, with further upgrades targeting sub-second finality and 100,000+ TPS. The Agglayer Breakout initiative will continue, including POL airdrops for stakers and the spinout of Polygon ZisK under Jordi Baylina.

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Polygon Co-Founder Takes Full Control as CEO

Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has taken over as the first CEO of the Polygon Foundation, shifting away from the project’s decentralized governance approach. The foundation, which oversees Polygon Labs and other ecosystem arms, will now operate under Nailwal’s leadership as it refocuses amid growing competition in the layer-2 space. Nailwal highlighted Polygon’s early focus on bold execution and institutionalization efforts during 2021-2023, including onboarding co-founders and establishing a board. This leadership change comes as Polygon aims to strengthen its position in the competitive crypto infrastructure landscape.

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Polygon Co-Founder Bjelic Steps Down, Stays in Crypto

Mihailo Bjelic, a key figure behind Polygon’s growth, has announced his resignation from the Polygon Foundation board and will reduce his day-to-day involvement with Polygon Labs. Fellow co-founder Sandeep Nailwal praised Bjelic’s contributions, calling him instrumental in shaping Polygon. While his departure is seen as a loss, Bjelic hinted at continued activity in the crypto space. The news has drawn widespread attention, reflecting Polygon’s significance in the Ethereum ecosystem.

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Polygon Co-Founder Warns of Deepfake Scams Targeting Crypto Startups

Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has exposed a rising trend of deepfake scams where attackers use AI-generated videos of him to trick crypto startup founders. The fraud begins with compromised Telegram accounts, leading to phishing links for Zoom meetings featuring manipulated videos of Nailwal and other Polygon executives. Victims are then urged to install harmful software under the guise of an SDK. Nailwal warns that such deepfake-driven scams have already caused over $200 million in losses in Q1 2025 alone. He advises strict operational hygiene, including using separate devices for wallet transactions, to mitigate risks. This incident underscores the escalating sophistication of AI-powered crypto fraud targeting industry leaders.

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