E151: Polygon Founder: How I Escaped Extreme Poverty and Built a $30 Billion Crypto Company

Sandeep Nailwal, founder of Polygon, went from living in a storage room where his grandfathers were servants to building a $30 billion blockchain company. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter___________PARTNERS💰 Zashi is the easiest self-custody wallet for private transactions - send, receive, and spend Zcash (ZEC) without middlemen or surveillance, built by the team that launched Zcash in 2016.https://z.cash/ecosystem/zashi-wallet/🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/🅿️ Paradex is building the future of open finance — an intuitive, permissionless trading platform giving users full control, ultra-low costs, fast execution, and access to global markets in one place. Money Badgers Genesis NFT drops in Q4 — limited spots 👉 https://app.paradex.trade/wl/resilientrogueqv💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries: https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence. Buy with 10% off (promo code in video): https://trezor.io/?transaction_id=1026f18ed46409e495c6db4bff90ab&offer_id=133&affiliate_id=35356🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/💧 Sui is a next-gen Layer 1 making digital asset ownership fast, private, and secure. https://sui.io/🧩 Story makes IP and real-world data programmable, enforceable, and monetizable. https://www.story.foundation★ Forza!, Coinsilium’s Gibraltar-based Bitcoin treasury arm. Coinsilium trades on AQUIS (COIN) and OTCQB (CINGF). https://www.coinsilium.com/🔘 Mantle Network combines Ethereum-level security with low fees and fast transactions via its layer-2 tech. Stake ETH for mETH and join a transparent, community-governed ecosystem. https://www.mantle.xyz___________FOLLOW SANDEEP NAILWAL👇• Twitter: https://x.com/sandeepnailwal• Twitter: https://x.com/0xPolygon• Website: https://polygon.technology/FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENSTwitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/DISCLAIMERThe info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome.0:00 Introduction1:35 Please Subscribe3:10 How Are You Doing3:53 Sandeep Doesn’t Sleep Much4:19 Sandeep Is Just Like Paulo From Tether6:15 Sandeep’s Regular Sleep Hours8:22 What Is Your Mission11:45 Who Are You13:43 Our Trusted Partners18:42 Your Definition Of A Big Man Today24:04 Explain Polygon To Your Mom28:02 3 Different Names For Polygon Token Over The Years, Why?31:10 Polygon Hired The Head Of Crypto For Stripe, Why?35:20 Risk Of The Poly Market Moving Away From Polygon38:10 Our Valued Sponsors39:24 Why Is The Poly Market Built On A Blockchain43:04 What’s Special About The Katana Team to Have Them In Polygons Ecosystem45:05 What Is Maiden Explained Simply46:16 What Is The Polygon Ag Layer47:12 What Is Sentient & How Does It Fit Into Aggregation Layer51:12 Why AI & Blockchain Intersection Is Importantly For The Future52:29 Why Sandeep Is Very Active In Philanthropy53:31 The Happiest Moment In Your Philanthropic Journey