What’s Cooking at Ronin?

Attention, gamers! Buckle up because Ronin, the blockchain superstar backing hits like Axie Infinity, is blasting off to become a top-notch Ethereum Layer-2 network on May 12. That’s right, folks, after four years of chilling as Ethereum’s sidekick, Ronin is taking a giant leap forward!

Get Ready for a Downtime Drama!

Mark your calendars folks! This migration will kick off at block 55,577,490, and it’s gonna take around 10 hours of mainnet downtime from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. So, if you’ve planned to dive deep into gaming, you might need to keep your controllers on standby because your favorite games could be off-limits for a bit.

Change is in the Air!

Now, let’s talk money, baby! The economic shakeup is wild. The inflation of the $RON token is diving from over 20% to less than 1%—hold onto your hats! And marketplace fees? They’re shooting up 2.5 times from 0.5% to 1.25%. Plus, the Ronin treasury will be scooping up 90 million $RON tokens that were earmarked for staking.

Proof of Distribution is Here!

With the migration, we’re getting a shiny new “proof of distribution” system that’ll help automate $RON rewards for developers. Forget about manual processes; it’s time to embrace the future as Ronin secures its place in the Ethereum ecosystem!

Gaming Chains Feeling the Pressure

The move comes as gaming chains are facing mounting pressure to get in line with existing infrastructures instead of running costly solo missions. Ronin has done some heavyweight trading over the past couple of years during Axie Infinity’s peak, but let’s be real—it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing lately.

Ronin’s Journey So Far

Launched in 2021 to tackle high Ethereum transaction fees, Ronin was the answer for gamers wanting to earn while having fun. This sidechain has attracted hordes of players and a tidal wave of trading, redefining blockchain gaming as we know it.

Layer-2 Technology to the Rescue!

According to Sky Mavis, the brains behind Ronin, recent advancements in layer-2 technology are here to save the day, offering us low costs and speedy transactions while still keeping the fortress-like security of Ethereum.

The Rollercoaster Ride of $RON

Now, let’s chat about the $RON token. It’s hopped up about 11% recently, sitting at around $0.097. But don’t let that fool you; it’s been a rough road, crashing nearly 81% over the last year. Once soaring to $4.45 in March 2024, it now finds itself down 98%! Yikes!

Token Turmoil Across the Board

And guess what? It ain’t just $RON feeling the heat. Axie Infinity’s AXS token has sunk over 99% since November 2021, while Pixels’ PIXEL token is sharing the same sad fate. This isn’t just a Ronin problem—big titles like Immutable (IMX) and Gala Games (GALA) are also down by 98% from their peaks!

Game Over for Some

In 2025, many well-known crypto games threw in the towel, mainly due to low funds and dwindling interest from players. Fast forward to 2026, and we’re seeing more farewells, with games like Forgotten Runiverse on Ronin and Xociety on Sui shutting down shop.

Where’s the Funding?

Experts revealed in late 2025 that the spate of game closures was tied to a drop in venture capital funding, which left many projects scrambling to adapt—or just calling it quits. As we continue into this year, the fallout shows no signs of stopping!