Ronin, a blockchain focused on gaming that powers projects like Axie Infinity and Pixels, will fully migrate to Ethereum Layer 2 on May 12. This is a major change for the network, which has operated as a sidechain for the past four years.
The transition will begin at block 55,577,490. After that, Ronin will run on the OP Stack infrastructure, Ethereum’s Layer 2 framework, which already processes millions of transactions daily in other networks.
Developers warn that the mainnet could experience about 10 hours of downtime during the upgrade. During this period, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, games may be unavailable.
The network’s economy will also change significantly. RON token inflation will drop from over 20% to below 1%. Marketplace fees sent to the treasury will increase 2.5 times, from 0.5% to 1.25%.
Additionally, 90 million RON tokens previously allocated for staking will be redirected to the Ronin treasury.
With the migration, the network will also get a new reward distribution system. A mechanism called proof-of-distribution will automatically allocate RON to developers, replacing manual distribution and simplifying operations within the Ethereum ecosystem.
The migration itself reflects a broader trend. It is becoming increasingly difficult for gaming blockchains to maintain their own infrastructure, so more projects are turning to ready-made solutions. During the peak years of Axie Infinity in 2021–2022, Ronin processed NFT trades worth billions of dollars, but maintaining such a system has become harder as interest in crypto games has declined.
Ronin was originally launched in 2021 specifically due to Ethereum‘s limitations. Mainnet fees made gaming transactions too expensive at the time. The sidechain solved this problem and became the foundation for the play-to-earn boom, which brought millions of users and huge trading volumes to blockchain gaming.
See Also: Banks Try to ‘Bury’ the CLARITY Act Before the U.S. Senate Elections
Now, Ronin developer Sky Mavis believes that Layer 2 technologies already offer the same advantages: low fees and high throughput, plus the added security of Ethereum.
The RON token has risen about 11% over the past week and is now trading around $0.097. But on a broader scale, the picture remains weak. Over the past year, it has lost nearly 81%, and from its peak of $4.45 in March 2024, the drop is about 98%, according to CoinGecko.
Key game tokens in the Ronin ecosystem have also fallen sharply. AXS from Axie Infinity has lost more than 99% from its November 2021 peak. The PIXEL token from Pixels has seen a similar drop from its March 2024 high. And this is not just a Ronin problem. Major gaming tokens like IMX from Immutable and GALA from Gala Games have also fallen by at least 98% from their highs.
Many notable crypto games shut down during 2025. Developers most often cited lack of funding and declining player interest. This trend has continued into 2026. Recent closures include Forgotten Runiverse on Ronin and Xociety on Sui.
Experts said at the end of 2025 that the main reason was the withdrawal of venture investment as the blockchain gaming market cooled. As a result, many projects are either changing direction or shutting down completely. This downturn is continuing this year.
Does Blockchain Gaming Have a Future
Despite the current downturn, the market itself has not disappeared. Rather, it is undergoing a painful reset. The early hype around play-to-earn led to hundreds of projects, but most were built not on gameplay but on tokenomics. As soon as the flow of new users and money started to decline, this model quickly stopped working.
Now the focus is gradually shifting. Developers are increasingly betting not on quick profits but on full-fledged game mechanics and long-term engagement. At the same time, the infrastructure is also changing. Instead of their own networks, projects are moving to L2 solutions to cut costs and simplify launches.
See Also: Banks Try to Delay the GENIUS Act on Stablecoin Regulation
Ronin is a good example of this. The move to Ethereum Layer 2 could be not just a technical update but an attempt to adapt to the new market reality. If this approach works, it could set the direction for other gaming ecosystems as well.
