ChainCatcher live report, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal delivered a speech titled "The Age of Aggregation" at the TOKEN2049 conference, exploring the current state and future trends of the blockchain industry. Sandeep pointed out that although the blockchain industry has achieved some success, core issues such as scalability and interoperability still need to be addressed. He emphasized that to achieve global adoption of blockchain, it is essential to break the limitations of traditional frameworks and pursue infinite scalability and unified protocols.In his speech, Sandeep introduced Polygon's innovative attempts to solve these problems, particularly how its latest products achieve cross-chain interoperability and security guarantees by adding an additional layer of architecture. This architecture not only unifies liquidity but also allows developers to maintain full control over their projects while enjoying infinite scalability. He mentioned that Polygon's goal is to enable every application to launch its own chain without being isolated, thereby building a true value internet.Sandeep also shared Polygon's optimistic outlook for the future of the blockchain industry and called on developers to actively embrace change and work together to promote the healthy development of the industry. He stated that with continuous technological advancements and the increasingly完善 ecosystem, blockchain will play an important role in a wider range of fields, injecting new vitality into the global economy.Finally, Sandeep revealed new features and tools that Polygon is about to launch, aimed at further lowering the development threshold and enhancing user experience. These innovative initiatives will undoubtedly bring more possibilities and opportunities to the blockchain industry.

ChainCatcher news, according to statistics and analysis from the crypto asset data platform RootData, from August 2023 to the present, market financing events have risen in tandem with secondary market trends, with financing rounds decreasing by 10% compared to the peak Bitcoin price in November 2021. During the same period, the monthly financing amount has consistently remained at the "pressure level" of $1 billion, a decline from the previous bull market peak financing amount of $6.12 billion to $1.01 billion, a decrease of approximately 83%. The data indicates that in this bull market cycle, project valuations have been corrected, while the demand for project financing has increased, but the difficulty of financing has also expanded. Additionally, the fundraising and exit pressures on institutional investors are continuously rising, so the participation of Web3 angel/individual investors will help support more early-stage Web3 entrepreneurs and project innovations.RootData has released a list of the top 50 Web3 angel investors over the past year (from August 1, 2023, to August 1, 2024) based on factors such as investment activity and influence. Among them, the top 10 angel investors with the most investments in the past year have collectively participated in investments totaling $1.88 billion (this data is based on total project financing amounts), participating in a total of 234 financing events. These investments are mainly distributed across infrastructure (15.9%), DeFi (9.2%), and GamFi (8.3%). The new track AI accounts for 4.7%, higher than the modular (2.6%), LSD (2.1%), DePIN (1.13%), and RWA (0.75%) tracks that institutional investors are more focused on.In the past year, Polygon co-founder [Sandeep Nailwal](https://www.rootdata.com/zh/member/detail/Sandeep Nailwal?k=MTI5MjU=) has been the most active with 39 investments, participating in Berachain's $100 million Series B financing, as well as financing for well-known projects like Ether.Fi, Succinct, and Movement. Solana co-founder and CEO [Anatoly Yakovenko](https://www.rootdata.com/zh/member/detail/Anatoly Yakovenko?k=OTAyMw==) has invested in 12 infrastructure track projects in the past year, accounting for 26% of his total investment count. Notable angel investor [Balaji Srinivasan](https://www.rootdata.com/zh/member/detail/Balaji Srinivasan?k=MTI5MjI=) has made 24 investments in the past year, with a total investment amount of $230 million (this data is based on total project financing amounts), showing significant interest in AI and tool-related projects. Renowned NFT collector dingaling has participated in financing events for over 30 different segmented track projects in the past year, with the GamFi track accounting for 48% of his total participation financing amount (this data is based on total project financing amounts).

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder and executive chairman of blockchain developer Polygon Labs, will also serve as Chief Business Officer, overseeing strategies related to solutions developed by Polygon.Nailwal will also help expand AggLayer, "a decentralized network that connects various chains for shared state and liquidity."Nailwal stated: "Polygon Labs is building incredible transformative technology that will provide developers and businesses with countless opportunities to scale quickly and securely while gaining liquidity."

ChainCatcher news, CoinDesk reports that Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal, along with the venture capital firm Symbolic Capital he co-founded, has announced the launch of a new Nailwal Scholarship to provide financial support for early builders transitioning from Web2 to Web3.Nailwal has committed to donating his own money to 10 builders selected each year, with a total amount of $500,000. The scholarship focuses on individuals rather than teams. The program is open to all Web3 builders, regardless of age or location. The Nailwal Scholarship accepts applications from May to early June each year. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal responded to a Twitter user stating "The Layer2 boom is entirely based on airdrop expectations" by saying: "Good things take time, the Polygon zkEVM ecosystem is preparing for a significant enhancement through key infrastructure deployments (such as security), the arrival of oracle services (like Chainlink), improving user experience based on early developer feedback, cost optimization using data compression, and more. If there’s one thing you cannot doubt about Polygon, it’s adoption. Furthermore, there are no rules that prohibit existing tokens from large-scale airdrops."

ChainCatcher news, the Web3 credential protocol Gateway has completed a $4.2 million funding round, led by Recipual Ventures, with participation from 6th Man Ventures, Spartan Group, Figment, as well as Sandeep Nailwal from Polygon and Ryan Selkis from Messari.It is reported that Gateway was founded by Rahman and Sanket Jain in 2021, aiming to decentralize the issuance and maintenance of credentials. Credentials are proofs that someone possesses specific attributes or qualifications. In the traditional world, credentials are typically issued and maintained by central authorities, such as certificates issued by governments and universities. In the Web3 world, credentials are stored on the blockchain, often issued as tokens, such as NFTs. Gateway states that since its inception, the company has issued over 500,000 credentials. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has launched a Web3 startup accelerator called Beacon, which will fund early crypto projects through guidance and financial support. Sandeep Nailwal stated that 15 startups have already received funding from Beacon.It is reported that Beacon offers a 12-week program to guide and fund entrepreneurs. The first batch, "Cohort 0," launched in October, with over 30 founders from 15 startups participating, covering areas such as DeFi, infrastructure, and gaming. The application deadline for the next batch is January 31. (source link)