Polygon Faces New Era as Co-Founder Mihailo Bjelic Departs

Mihailo Bjelic, one of the key architects behind Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Polygon, has officially stepped down from his position at Polygon Labs and the board of the Polygon Foundation. 

In a May 23 statement on X, Bjelic described his decision as one rooted in reflection, signaling the end of his day-to-day involvement while maintaining his commitment to the broader crypto ecosystem.

A Major Departure After Years of Contribution

“After much thought and reflection, I’ve decided to step down from the board of the Polygon Foundation and wind down my day-to-day involvement with Polygon Labs,” Bjelic shared, noting the natural evolution and divergence of visions as projects mature. “I can no longer contribute to Polygon to the best of my abilities,” he said, while emphasizing he will remain a cheerleader and occasional contributor from the sidelines.

Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal praised Bjelic’s instrumental role in the project, calling him “a force behind so much of what makes Polygon what it is today.” Several members of the crypto community echoed similar sentiments. 

Aave-chan Initiative’s Marc Zeller labeled the exit a “Big L for Polygon,” while Leon Stern, the project’s head of marketing, thanked Bjelic for his contributions. Skale Network CEO Jack O’Holleran noted that Bjelic should be “very proud” of what he helped build and was “excited to see what he does next.”

Bjelic Not Alone in His Exit

Bjelic’s resignation is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Polygon core team. In the past two years, co-founders Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun also left the organization. Arjun’s exit aligned with the spin-off of Avail, a modular blockchain solution for data availability and consensus, which he now leads as an independent project.

Despite these changes, the layer-2 project has continued to develop and expand. Earlier this year, the network announced major partnerships and integrations, such as a collaboration with DigiShares for tokenized real estate trading via RealEstate.Exchange (REX), and a deal with Jio Platforms, part of Mukesh Ambani’s empire, to incorporate Web3 features into consumer telecom services.

What’s Next for Bjelic?

While Bjelic hasn’t disclosed his next move, he hinted that he will remain active in the crypto space. “You will likely still see me around,” he said, adding that his passion for the industry hasn’t waned.

Given his track record, many in the community expect Bjelic to play a significant role in another venture soon—perhaps a new project or advisory role that allows him to channel his vision and expertise differently.

A Changing Landscape for Polygon

Polygon’s leadership reshuffle comes amid a pivotal year for the network. Its recent strategic partnerships and its growing role in real-world asset tokenization and Web3 infrastructure development signal the protocol’s ambition to remain a core part of Ethereum’s scaling narrative.

Yet, the exit of multiple foundational team members also raises questions about the network’s long-term vision, internal alignment, and how new leadership will navigate the next phase of adoption and infrastructure evolution.

As Bjelic takes a step back from the platform he helped build, the broader crypto community watches closely—not just for the project’s next chapter, but for the one Bjelic himself is about to write.