Axie Infinity’s Ronin Network to migrate to Ethereum next month, unlocking lower inflation and new builder rewards

First created to scale Axie Infinity, Ronin now returns to Ethereum as its layer 2 ecosystem matures.

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Add us on Google by Vivian Nguyen Apr. 23, 2026

Ronin, the gaming-focused blockchain built by Sky Mavis to power titles like Axie Infinity, is migrating to Ethereum on May 12, the team said this week.

The move will end a four-year run as an independent sidechain and bring major upgrades to its ecosystem.

The migration will cut RON inflation from over 20% to under 1% and expand treasury inflows. Ronin also plans to roll out Proof of Distribution, a system that automatically rewards builders based on their contributions.

Proof of Distribution will reward contributors based on a measurable impact, including gas spend, user growth, and trading activity. Meanwhile, treasury inflows will expand via staking allocations, sequencer revenue, and increased marketplace fees.

The result is a more efficient, secure, and incentive-aligned network for both builders and users, according to Ronin.

The migration requires approximately 10 hours of downtime, during which no on-chain activity will be possible, as noted by the team. Node operators must upgrade before the scheduled hardfork at block #55577490.

What made Ronin independent in the first place

When Sky Mavis, the Vietnamese studio behind Axie Infinity, began developing Ronin in late 2020, Ethereum’s layer 2 options were still in their infancy.

With mainnet gas fees becoming prohibitive for the game’s growth, Sky Mavis officially launched the Ronin mainnet in February 2021 to provide the high-throughput, low-cost environment necessary to onboard millions of players.

The move fueled Axie’s massive expansion through early 2022, but independence came with a price. In March 2022, the North Korean-linked Lazarus Group exploited the Ronin bridge and drained roughly $625 million in assets, one of the largest hacks in crypto history.

The Ethereum ecosystem looks nothing like it did six years ago. Layer 2 solutions are battle-tested, data availability costs have plummeted, and the OP Stack processes millions of transactions daily across multiple chains.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.