Sandeep Nailwal is the co-founder of Polygon (formerly Matic Network), one of the most widely adopted Ethereum scaling solutions.
Polygon
Nailwal co-founded Matic Network in 2017 with Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun. The project rebranded to Polygon in 2021, expanding its vision from a single sidechain to a comprehensive Ethereum scaling platform. Polygon’s proof-of-stake sidechain became one of the most used blockchains by transaction count, attracting DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and gaming applications seeking lower fees and faster transactions than Ethereum mainnet.
Polygon has been notably successful in attracting major brands and enterprises, with integrations from Starbucks, Nike, Reddit, and others for loyalty programs, digital collectibles, and other Web3 applications.
Polygon 2.0 and ZK Technology
Under Polygon’s strategic evolution, the project invested heavily in zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography, acquiring multiple ZK teams including Hermez Network, Mir Protocol, and hiring key researchers. Polygon 2.0 envisions a network of ZK-powered chains unified by a shared liquidity and interoperability layer, representing a shift from the original sidechain model to advanced cryptographic scaling.
Philanthropy
During India’s devastating COVID-19 crisis in 2021, Nailwal launched the India COVID-Crypto Relief Fund, which raised over $400 million in crypto donations — including a $1 billion SHIB token donation from Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin. The fund was one of the largest crypto-funded charitable initiatives in history.