Polygon zkEVM Team Breaks Away to Launch Zisk Amidst Restructuring

Polygon Labs co-founder Jordi Baylina and the team behind the zkEVM network have spun out into an independent company called Zisk. The move comes as the Polygon Foundation prepares to shut down the zkEVM chain due to low use and refocus its priorities.

Zisk became its own company on June 13, 2025, after starting inside Polygon Labs in May 2024. The new startup will focus on creating a new zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) to verify blockchain data without revealing sensitive information. This enhances transaction privacy, blockchain speed, and security.

Jordi Baylina stated that Zisk will be open-source with low latency, making it developer-friendly. All zkEVM-related assets are now under SilentSig Switzerland GmbH, wholly owned by Baylina.

Polygon Foundation shifts its focus under the new CEO, Sandeep Nailwal, who announced the shutdown of zkEVM to cut costs. The foundation will concentrate on Polygon PoS and Agglayer to link different blockchains.

Despite launching Zisk, Jordi Baylina remains a Polygon co-founder and advisor. Zisk aims to enhance zero-knowledge technologies for secure and private blockchain growth.

The trend of experienced teams leaving big projects to start their own companies is growing, driven by the demand for efficient blockchain services in the DeFi and NFT sectors.

Sam Boolman | Crypto Enthusiast and Writer

Sam Boolman is a contributing writer at ChainIntel.org with a long-standing interest in cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and emerging financial trends. A self-directed trader who actively invests his own capital, Sam follows the markets closely and brings a hands-on perspective to the fast-paced world of crypto journalism. With a background in business and digital media, Sam has written across a variety of sectors including tech, startups, and online finance. His curiosity and enthusiasm for the evolving digital economy fuel his exploration of Web3, decentralised finance, and market developments. Sam is passionate about making complex topics more accessible to everyday readers and continues to expand his knowledge through research, trading experience, and industry engagement.

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