The Protocol: Polygon, Once a Scaling Leader, Eyes a Revamp
This week in crypto tech development saw significant shifts in leadership and policy. Sandeep Nailwal took the helm as CEO of the Polygon Foundation, initiating a strategic overhaul focused on AggLayer, a cross-chain liquidity protocol, while retiring zkEVM. This move signifies Polygon’s aim to regain its Web3 leadership position.
The Ethereum Foundation unveiled a new treasury policy, allocating 15% of its funds annually to operational expenses, with a plan to reduce this to 5% over five years. This reflects their commitment to crucial deliverables in the coming years. Meanwhile, Bitcoin Core 30 will increase the OP_RETURN data limit to nearly 4MB, a decision that followed community debate concerning potential network spam. Plume launched its Genesis mainnet, aiming to bring real-world assets to DeFi, a burgeoning sector attracting significant interest.
In other news, Safe launched Safe Labs to streamline operations following the ByBit hack. Morpho V2 introduced fixed-rate, fixed-term loans to DeFi, bridging the gap with traditional lending. Regulatory developments include the SEC exploring potential exemptions for DeFi platforms, aiming to facilitate on-chain financial systems. Ant Group’s international unit plans to seek stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Luxembourg, highlighting the growing interest in stablecoins.
The calendar for upcoming crypto events includes Berlin Blockchain Week (June 8-22), Permissionless (June 24-26), EthCC (June 30-July 3), Web3 Summit (July 16-18), Korea Blockchain Week (Sept 22-28), Token2049 (Oct 1-2), Devconnect (Nov 17-22), Solana Breakpoint (Dec 11-13), Consensus Hong Kong (Feb 10-12, 2026), and Consensus Miami (May 5-7, 2026). These events will likely shape the future direction of the cryptocurrency landscape.
