13 Aug AMA with Polygon (Sandeep Naiwal) – Hosted by Bitfinex & BitfreedomGus
Since its founding, Polygon has grown into one of the most widely used blockchains in DeFi, driving innovation across scalability, user experience, and multi-chain architecture. The upgrade from MATIC to POL marked a pivotal step in aligning the network’s tokenomics with its long-term vision, ensuring greater utility for holders and stakers across its expanding ecosystem.
Now, with the launch of Agglayer, Polygon is creating a more robust and interconnected environment for developers, aiming to unify the fragmented Web3 landscape and deliver a seamless, internet-like experience for the future of decentralised applications.
On 8 August 2025, Bitfinex hosted an AMA discussing these developments and Polygon’s vision for the future. Enjoy!
Bitfinex: Hello everyone and welcome to another exclusive Bitfinex AMA! I’m BitfreedomGus, and today I have the pleasure of welcoming Sandeep Nailwal, Founder and CEO of Polygon.
Polygon has opened the doors to DeFi for millions of users, and now it takes a bold step towards unifying everything in crypto. As we approach almost one year since the upgrade from MATIC to POL, we’ll take a look at what this transition has meant for the network and explore the next chapters in Polygon’s journey, such as the new Agglayer, which I’m personally curious to learn more about.
Sandeep Nailwal, welcome. It’s great to have you here with the Bitfinex community.
Sandeep Nailwal: Hey BitFreedomGus, excited to be here! Bitfinex was the second exchange I ever used after Poloniex. When I first signed up on Bitfinex, it was a massive step up in terms of UX compared to Poloniex.
Bitfinex: Awesome! Looks like we’ve got a couple of OGs here!
Sandeep Nailwal: So a long history with Bitfinex for me, it’s a full circle moment for me to be here with you guys. Honoured!
Bitfinex: To begin, could you share about your background and what problem you were most passionate about solving when Polygon was created?
Sandeep Nailwal: I come from a very humble background in India where I had to start supporting my household with income at a very early age. I felt that life did not provide equal opportunity for all of us. A little bit here and there and I could’ve been working in an old mobile repair shop in Delhi, India. The Internet provided me the opportunity to realise my potential and be here in front of all of you and be at least somewhat heard.
I think crypto has even bigger potential when it comes to empowerment of every individual human being. And that’s the main mindset I have to be working in crypto. Polygon specifically…
I feel that for Polygon, I think the blockchain and crypto industry is growing and since day 0 our goal was to provide the massive scalability to crypto for it to go to billions of users.
The goal of Polygon is to enable all app builders, whether they are building on one shared blockchain like Polygon POS or they want their own chains, they are able to build it trustlessly and securely while keeping the user experience as seamless as possible.
The users should be able to use their money and do with it whatever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want.
So Polygon is trying to build an Internet of interconnected blockchains who host end-user apps on thousands of blockchains but for end users, it feels like one single blockchain, just like on the Internet you as a user are connected to one single internet, and not internet of USA, internet of Italy, Internet of India and so on.
Internet is one internet.
Similarly, the blockchains should be one single blockchain from the end user perspective.
Sorry for the long answer but this topic is so close to my heart.
Bitfinex: Don’t worry, we appreciate this masterclass. What made you take up the position of CEO at Polygon Foundation?
Sandeep Nailwal: The structure at the foundation wasn’t built for speed. With several founders involved and too much overlap in roles, it became difficult to move quickly and make clear decisions. I stepped in as CEO of the Polygon Foundation to bring sharper focus and help us execute more effectively across the board.
Marc Boiron, who I believe is one of the most capable CEOs in the industry, had already spent the last few years rebuilding the Polygon Labs team into a high-performing organisation. Because of that foundation, we were in a position to start delivering almost immediately.
In just the past few months, we’ve built a clear roadmap for our key products. Polygon PoS is one of the most widely used public blockchains and helps developers build low-cost, fast applications that are easy to use. We have a clear roadmap to make it even faster, in order to support global payments and RWAs, leaning into the areas where it is already excellent. The Agglayer is built to help not only Polygon, but any chain, by unifying all of crypto. It’s our new coordination layer that connects different chains into a single, seamless network, with an emphasis on user experience that will feel like the internet we all know. Both are critical to our long-term vision.
We’re now in full shipping mode. We’re moving fast on payments, including major upgrades to the mainchain, and launching ambitious initiatives like the Agglayer Breakout Programme and Katana with GSR.
Bitfinex: Thank you again, Sandeep Nailwal. After years of development, how has the vision for Polygon evolved?
Sandeep Nailwal: So Polygon started as a single chain, Polygon PoS, which today is one of the largest chains in terms of daily active users for stablecoins and many other use cases.
But over time we realised that no single blockchain can cater to the Web3 apps of the entire world. It’s like saying that all the apps on the internet could be built on one single data server or one single data centre.
It’s not true; enterprises want to build on different kinds of architectures. DeFi needs a different kind of architecture, games need a different architecture and so on. It’s wrong to think that any single blockchain will get all the apps of Web3.
Hence Polygon is today focused and architected as a multichain ecosystem. We have one chain, Polygon PoS, which is very popular, but our key product is Agglayer, which is a trustless, chain sovereignty and independence-focused chain cluster.
So today, Polygon is Polygon PoS plus Agglayer, That already has some popular chains like Wilder World, Katana, Lumia and many more.
Bitfinex: Amazing. And with that evolved vision, what is the latest with Polygon?
Sandeep Nailwal: Right now, we’re focused on three big goals.
➜ First, we are developing Polygon PoS into the fastest payments chain out there. The gigagas roadmap we released can bring speeds that rival and surpass systems like Visa. We want people to be able to send money or make purchases instantly and at almost no cost.
To make that happen, we are upgrading the technology behind Polygon and working closely with teams like Flipkart, Grab, and Reliance Jio, who are building real payment use cases with us.
➜ Second, we are working to get the first version of Agglayer out by the end of the year. Although it’s live right now, not all the premium features are available that will make users’ lives easier.
Agglayer is a huge step forward in crypto. Today, blockchains are disconnected, completely separate from one another. There’s no single place where crypto happens, but a patchwork of temporary fixes that bridge blockchains together.
The Agglayer is designed to connect them all in the background, similar to how the internet connects people around the world. It makes using crypto simpler, faster, and more seamless for everyone.
➜ Third, we want to make sure Polygon stakers see real value. Right now, POL is one of the only tokens in the L2 landscape that has real utility, and utility outside a single ecosystem. It’s the token that powers both Polygon and Agglayer. And with the Agglayer Breakout Program, chains that take part and are connected to the Agglayer send airdrops back to stakers. So if you’re staking POL, this creates a direct link between the growth of the ecosystem and the value of staking.
Bitfinex: Thank you. Can you explain what Polygon revealed in its recent gigagas roadmap update and what the future looks like for the network?
Sandeep Nailwal: The aim of the gigagas roadmap is to reach 100k TPS, scaling throughput for a better user experience that can support the financial world onchain. That means instant transactions, death to reorgs, and new levels of speed, all with Polygon’s battle-tested reliability. Polygon is aiming to become the premier payments and RWAs chain, and this is the milestone we need to reach internet scale.
Bitfinex: Speaking of roadmap, technology and updates, what was the recent Heimdall upgrade, and why does it matter for Polygon?
Sandeep Nailwal: This was the first step in the gigagas roadmap, and one of the most complex upgrades in the history of crypto. Polygon now supports 5-second fast finality, allowing stablecoins to move at the pace of everyday life and tokenised assets to settle like stocks.
Bitfinex: As you said, Sandeep Nailwal, expanding different solutions to different applications. Amazing. Let’s get back to the upgrade. Why was MATIC upgraded to POL last year, and what utility does POL offer to holders and stakers?
Sandeep Nailwal: Polygon has evolved over the last few years. The network needed a token that would be able to support future upgrades and accrue value to holders and stakers in a way that works across both Polygon and Agglayer. Unlike other L2 tokens, POL has real utility. It’s the native gas token of the Polygon network, allocates an annual emission of 2% to ecosystem incentives, and allows users to earn staking rewards. POL also includes mechanisms for community airdrop eligibility via the Agglayer Breakout Programme.
Bitfinex: And after that, how can POL holders and stakers accrue value from the Polygon Network?
Sandeep Nailwal: It’s important to remember that while many projects and tokens are speculative by nature, POL already has immediate utility in a widely used chain that gives fundamental value. POL is the gas and staking token of Polygon, so every transaction on the network is fuelled by POL. Staking POL earns rewards and makes stakers eligible for community airdrops.
As Polygon continues to lead in payments, the demand for POL and network security will only grow. POL is the key piece, so that when stakers do the work, they see the rewards, helping the token accrue value, even as the groundwork is laid for POL to serve an important role in Agglayer. For an easy demo on how to stake POL, we created a video. Let me send the link here: https://x.com/0xPolygon/status/1952742853890752571
Bitfinex: I think your first statement about Bitfinex was very enlightening, but we have this question anyway. Bitfinex has been a long-term partner of Polygon. How has this relationship helped build trust between the project and the community of holders and traders over the years?
Sandeep Nailwal: I mean, see Bitfinex is the OG amongst the OGs. The group overall has done amazing work, from providing the deepest BTC markets to the world to creating the pivotal stablecoin for the industry, i.e., USDT.
I have the highest respect for Bitfinex and Tether leadership, especially I am a big fan of Paolo and his unique ability to predict long-term trends and work towards them in a very calm and composed way.
Mind you, in crypto, three months is like one year and Paolo thinks in five-year time frames. 😄 😄
That’s like thinking in a 20-year timeframe, hahaha.
It’s very impressive and we are honoured to have a great relationship with Bitfinex.
With Tether, we have payment solutions implemented in Lugano and many other cities. You can pay for everything from food, to groceries, to even wedding ceremonies in Lugano in USDT on Polygon.
Bitfinex: Thank you. You’re also leading and participating in the Web3 expansion. That’s something amazing. Let’s get deeper into Agglayer. What is Agglayer, and why is it important for Polygon’s roadmap?
Sandeep Nailwal: Agglayer is the product to unify all of Web3 and create one single internet for money. It connects L1s, L2s, whatever (it doesn’t matter what layer or what stack), without a chain having to sacrifice sovereignty or silo liquidity. With a special safety mechanism live, Agglayer will be able to safely support any chain, regardless of underlying security model. So earlier, when I was talking about how fragmented and fractured crypto is? Well, Agglayer fixes that.
And it’ll be run on POL.
In the latest upgrade, Agglayer CDK began to support more stacks than just one. It’s now possible for OP Stack-built chains to natively launch and connect to Agglayer. That’s the stack used by Base, Ink, etc.
It’s widely adopted technology, but launching in the Superchain comes with a tax for interop that Agglayer just doesn’t have. It already powers 15+ chains, with more joining all the time but on Agglayer it comes with zero tax to the chains connecting to it.
This is how you scale crypto like the internet: users don’t need to know what chain they’re on, and apps don’t need to bootstrap liquidity from scratch. Agglayer will enable sub-5 second cross-chain finality (coming soon), native token fungibility (no wrappers), and security you can verify onchain.
Bitfinex: How can POL holders and stakers accrue value from Agglayer?
Sandeep Nailwal: I touched on this a little above, but it’s worth spelling out. Agglayer will be powered by POL. That seamless UX experience we think is missing in Web3 can only really be achieved through Agglayer, due to its underlying technology. (Zero-knowledge proofs, for anyone who wants to deep dive!) POL staking is the electricity that gives Agglayer its internet-like aura: easy, safe transfers across different ecosystems and chains, in a way that’s fast and feels good. POL staking is at the centre here. POL stakers also become eligible for airdrops (see link below) through the Agglayer Breakout Programme from projects in the Polygon ecosystem.
The next announced airdrop is from Katana, a purpose-built DeFi chain for higher yield and deep liquidity incubated by Polygon Labs and GSR.
Highly recommend going through this image, this is a good description of POL utility:
Bitfinex: Thank you, really interesting and well explained. Good opportunities for communities to explore as well. And for everyday users and traders who may not follow technical developments closely, how will Polygon’s latest innovations improve their experience, and how can this help in the decision to hodl and trade POL?
Sandeep Nailwal: Polygon’s shipping season has already brought finality times under 5 seconds and TPS over 1000. This allows apps built on or integrated with Polygon to offer vastly improved UX to their users, with fast, cheap, reliable transactions globally. This is how Polygon is building the default chain for payments and RWA use cases, and continuing to create an onchain economy that brings the benefits of crypto to users and accrues value to the POL token.
Bitfinex: Thank you. To finalise this session, how can we find more information about Polygon’s latest developments?
Sandeep Nailwal: You can follow Polygon on X at x.com/0xPolygon, or go to the Polygon website, https://polygon.technology/.
Bitfinex: Sandeep, thank you for sharing your insights and giving us a closer look at Polygon’s progress and vision for the future. It has been a valuable conversation that allowed us to understand more about the network’s strategy, the role of POL, and upcoming innovations like Agglayer.
To our audience, thank you for joining us in this AMA. As mentioned, you can follow Polygon’s latest updates through their official channels:
Website: <https://polygon.technology/>
X (Twitter): <https://x.com/0xPolygon>
Audience Questions:
From LGabriel: Could you share what initially inspired you to create Polygon, and what were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the early stages of building the project, from concept to launch?
Sandeep Nailwal: Hey LGabriel, thank you for the question. As I mentioned before, I come from a humble background in India, where I had to start supporting my household financially at a very young age. I always felt that life didn’t offer equal opportunities to everyone. Just a few different circumstances, and I could’ve ended up working in a small mobile repair shop in Delhi. The internet, more specifically crypto, gave me the chance to be here today, speaking to all of you and having my voice heard, at least to some extent. So, Keep chasing your dreams LGabriel.
From Emellic9: How are you working to turn our dreams into reality?
Sandeep Nailwal: Hey Emellic9, thank you for the question. I think you can refer to the question “What’s new in Polygon?”, as we have three major goals that will create more opportunities for both Polygon developers and adopters
From Karthik: Hi Sandeep, Polygon hasn’t pumped the way many expected. Since you became CEO, what do you think the price expectation for the Polygon coin is through to December 2026?
Sandeep Nailwal: Hey Karthik, thank you for the question. I think you can refer to the question “What’s new in Polygon?” where I mentioned Polygon’s third goal.
Bitfinex: This concludes our session for today! Thank you!