TLDR
- Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal publicly stated the Ethereum Foundation has given Polygon no direct support despite its scaling contributions
- Nailwal claims Polygon’s valuation could be 2-5x higher if it branded itself as a layer 1 instead of staying loyal to Ethereum
- Sonic Labs co-founder Andre Cronje revealed he spent over 700 ETH building on Ethereum without receiving any foundation grants
- Vitalik Buterin responded by praising Polygon’s zero-knowledge technology work and charitable contributions to the crypto space
- Buterin suggested Polygon could achieve better Ethereum integration using new ZK proving systems that cost $0.0001 per transaction
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal criticized the Ethereum Foundation on October 21, 2025, for what he calls a complete lack of support. Despite Polygon’s role in scaling Ethereum, Nailwal says the foundation has provided zero direct assistance to his team.
In a post on X, Nailwal expressed that his loyalty to Ethereum is weakening. He stated that the Ethereum community has dismissed Polygon’s work for years. This happened even though Polygon powers major Ethereum applications as a layer 2 solution.
The Polygon Foundation CEO said the community treats his project’s progress as separate from Ethereum’s success. He believes this treatment has cost Polygon financially. Nailwal estimates Polygon’s market value could be two to five times higher if positioned as an independent layer 1 blockchain.
Nailwal pointed to Polygon’s ecosystem, which includes networks like Katana and XLayer. These networks remain closely connected to Ethereum. However, the broader Ethereum community doesn’t acknowledge these contributions according to Nailwal.
Sonic Labs Founder Echoes Support Concerns
Andre Cronje from Sonic Labs shared similar frustrations about Ethereum Foundation support. He revealed burning over 700 ETH while building on Ethereum. Cronje received no grants, technical help, or even social media acknowledgment from the foundation.
Cronje contrasted his experience with newer Sonic ecosystem projects. Those projects regularly receive financial backing and technical support. His statement reinforced Nailwal’s claims about inconsistent support across the Ethereum developer community.
The criticism comes after months of internal debates among Ethereum builders. Multiple contributors have questioned how the foundation distributes grants and recognition. Some former Ethereum Foundation researchers have publicly shared frustration with the organization’s operations.
Vitalik Buterin Acknowledges Polygon’s Work
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin responded directly to Nailwal’s concerns on X. He thanked Polygon for its contributions to the ecosystem. Buterin specifically praised the team’s early zero-knowledge technology development.
He mentioned Polygon’s AggLayer framework work for scaling Ethereum. Buterin also highlighted Nailwal’s personal charitable efforts through CryptoRelief and the Balvi biotech program. He said these initiatives created “real-world impact far beyond crypto.”
Buterin acknowledged that Polygon hosts Polymarket, one of the largest prediction market platforms. The platform operates on Polygon’s infrastructure. He recognized the team’s technical achievements in the space.
However, Buterin explained why some don’t view Polygon as a true Ethereum layer 2. He noted Polygon lacks the proof system that provides full security guarantees. This technical gap separates it from other layer 2 solutions.
Buterin offered a potential solution using recent ZK proving advances. He said Polygon could adopt existing ZK technology stacks to integrate better with Ethereum’s main chain. The proving costs have dropped to $0.0001 per transaction, making implementation more feasible.
Nailwal has not publicly responded to Buterin’s technical suggestions. The exchange highlights growing tensions about how the Ethereum Foundation supports external development teams working on layer 2 scaling solutions.
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