Polygon’s Co-Founders Slam Ethereum Foundation Support, Buterin Proposes ZK-EVM Upgrade
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal and Sonic Labs co-founder Andre Cronje have publicly criticized the Ethereum Foundation for providing insufficient technical support, grants and recognition for Layer-2 scaling efforts. They argue that classifying Polygon as a standalone Layer-1 could boost its market value by 2–5× and lament the Ethereum Foundation’s exclusion of Polygon from key indexes and “Ethereum beta” metrics. In response, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged Polygon’s contributions to zero-knowledge research, proof aggregation and ZK-EVM development and urged the network to adopt mature ZK proving systems to enhance Polygon PoS security. This exchange highlights tensions over funding, governance and technical roadmaps in the Ethereum ecosystem. Traders should monitor for potential shifts in Layer-2 strategy and market positioning that could affect MATIC and ETH demand.
Neutral
In the short term, the public criticism by Polygon leadership may introduce sentiment volatility for MATIC and ETH as traders react to potential governance disputes. However, Vitalik Buterin’s acknowledgment of Polygon’s technical contributions and proposal to integrate mature zero-knowledge proofs mitigates negative perception. Long-term, enhanced ZK-EVM security and tighter Layer-2 integration could strengthen Polygon’s fundamentals and support demand for MATIC and ETH. Overall, the balanced mix of critique and constructive response suggests a neutral impact on market stability.