Polygon, Sonic Labs co-founders criticize Ethereum Foundation for neglecting layer 2s

Tensions within the Ethereum ecosystem resurfaced after senior builders accused the Ethereum Foundation of neglecting layer 2 developers.

Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal said his loyalty to Ethereum is weakening, claiming the Ethereum Foundation has provided “no direct support” to his team despite Polygon’s long-standing role in scaling the network. 

In an Oct. 21 post on X, he argued that Polygon’s (POL) work has often been dismissed by the Ethereum (ETH) community, which he believes has failed to recognize its layer 2 status even as it powers some of Ethereum’s largest applications.

Nailwal says Ethereum community has become insular

Nailwal stated that Polygon’s ecosystem, including networks such as Katana and XLayer, remains closely tied to Ethereum. However, he claimed the community treats Polygon’s progress as separate from Ethereum’s broader success.

He added that Polygon’s market value could be “two to five times higher” if it positioned itself as a standalone layer 1 chain, rather than maintaining ties to Ethereum.

His comments follow weeks of internal debate among Ethereum developers and founders over the foundation’s role in supporting external builders. Nailwal’s remarks echo past concerns from other contributors who have questioned how the foundation allocates grants and recognition within the ecosystem.

Sonic’s Cronje raises similar concerns

Andre Cronje, co-founder of Sonic Labs, echoed Nailwal’s remarks, saying he has “burned over 700 ETH” building on Ethereum without receiving grants or any kind of support, not even a retweet.

Cronje noted that his experience contrasts sharply with newer projects under the Sonic (S) ecosystem, which often receive financial and technical backing. His comments added weight to Nailwal’s claims of uneven support across Ethereum’s developer community.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin Responds

In a subsequent X response, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin thanked Nailwal and Polygon for their contributions. He emphasized Polygon’s early efforts to develop zero-knowledge technology and its attempts to use the AggLayer framework to scale Ethereum.

Buterin also cited Nailwal’s charitable work in projects like the Balvi biotech program and CryptoRelief, stating that his contributions have had “real-world impact far beyond crypto.”

Buterin went on to say that recent advancements in ZK proving systems might make it possible for Polygon to integrate with Ethereum’s main chain and provide stronger security guarantees, suggesting a potential avenue for future cooperation.