Polygon Co-Founder Mihailo Bjelic Steps Back from Daily Operations, Remains Supportive

Mihailo Bjelic, a co-founder of Polygon, has announced his decision to step down from the Polygon Foundation board and reduce his day-to-day involvement with Polygon Labs. In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on May 23, 2025, Bjelic expressed that while he is stepping back from operational roles, he will continue to support the project from the sidelines.

Bjelic acknowledged that as projects evolve, visions may diverge, leading to his decision to step aside to allow Polygon to continue its growth trajectory. He emphasized his ongoing passion for the crypto industry and indicated that he would remain active in the space.

The announcement prompted reactions from the crypto community. Fellow co-founder Sandeep Nailwal praised Bjelic’s contributions, stating that he has been instrumental in shaping Polygon. Others, including members of the Polygon team and broader blockchain community, expressed gratitude for his work and anticipation for his future endeavors.

Bjelic’s departure follows the exits of other early Polygon contributors, such as Jaynti Kanani and Anurag Arjun. Arjun’s transition coincided with the spin-off of Avail, a data availability and consensus layer, into an independent entity under his leadership.

Despite these leadership changes, Polygon continues to advance its initiatives. Recent developments include partnerships aimed at integrating blockchain solutions into various sectors, such as real estate tokenization through RealEstate.Exchange and collaborations with companies like Jio Platforms to enhance Web3 capabilities.

While Bjelic has not disclosed specific plans for his next steps, his continued presence in the crypto industry suggests that he will remain an influential figure in the blockchain ecosystem.