Ronin returns to Ethereum as gaming chain cuts RON inflation by 95%

Ronin Network will reconnect to Ethereum on 12 May through a major infrastructure upgrade that also slashes RON token inflation from more than 20% to below 1%. The migration marks a major shift for the gaming-focused blockchain, which originally launched in 2021 because Ethereum could not efficiently support Axie Infinity's explosive growth. Now, Ronin says Ethereum's Layer 2 ecosystem has matured enough for a "homecoming." "The time has come to plug Ronin back into the mothership: Ethereum," the team said in an April announcement ahead of the migration. The upgrade will move Ronin onto Ethereum's modern Layer 2 stack using the OP Stack. RON inflation to fall below 1% The migration also introduces one of the network's biggest tokenomics changes to date. Ronin said RON inflation will drop from above 20% annually to less than 1% after the upgrade. The network described the change as a 20x reduction in new token emissions. The project also plans to redirect new revenue streams into the Ronin treasury. Ronin increased the treasury's marketplace fee allocation from 0.5% to 1.25%. The team said the treasury should increasingly be held by RON holders as the ecosystem matures. Markets react ahead of the migration Traders appeared to respond positively ahead of the upgrade. RON rose about 4.5% over the past 24 hours, while trading volume climbed roughly 58%, according to CoinMarketCap data. The token traded near $0.115 at the time of publication. The market reaction suggests investors are closely watching the network's lower inflation model and deeper integration with Ethereum infrastructure. Ethereum scaling maturity changes the equation Ronin originally launched as a standalone gaming chain because Ethereum transaction costs and throughput limitations made large-scale blockchain gaming difficult. At the time, Ethereum's Layer 2 ecosystem was still in its early stages. The migration now reflects how much Ethereum scaling infrastructure has evolved over the past four years. OP Stack-powered chains currently process millions of transactions across the broader Ethereum ecosystem. Ronin said the shift will strengthen security, treasury revenue, builder incentives, and long-term sustainability. The migration will temporarily halt block production for around 10 hours on 12 May while the network completes the transition. Final Summary Ronin will reconnect to Ethereum through an OP Stack-based upgrade scheduled for 12 May. The migration cuts RON inflation from above 20% to below 1% while introducing new treasury and builder reward systems.