Ronin to migrate to Ethereum layer-2 on May 12

Sky Mavis announced that Ronin will migrate from an Ethereum sidechain to an OP Stack layer-2 on May 12, triggering at block 55,577,490. The developer said the migration could require about 10 hours of mainnet downtime between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET, during which games and related services may be unavailable.

The network will adopt the OP Stack infrastructure used by several Ethereum layer-2 networks to process larger transaction volumes with lower fees while relying on Ethereum for security. Sky Mavis described a new proof-of-distribution system that will automate RON rewards for game developers and replace manual allocation processes as Ronin reintegrates with Ethereum’s ecosystem.

Economic rules on Ronin will change on migration. RON token inflation will fall from above 20% to below 1%. Marketplace fees routed to the Ronin treasury will rise from 0.5% to 1.25%. In addition, 90 million RON previously allocated for staking will be transferred to the treasury. Sky Mavis said the adjustments are intended to reshape incentives for developers and fund network operations under the layer-2 model.

Market data show RON trading near $0.097 after an approximate 11% gain over the prior week. The token has lost about 81% of its value over the past year and roughly 98% from a peak around $4.45 in March 2024. Tokens tied to major Ronin games have fallen further: AXS is down more than 99% from its November 2021 high and PIXEL has dropped similarly from its March 2024 peak. Other gaming tokens have also fallen substantially from earlier highs.

Ronin launched in 2021 to handle Axie Infinity’s high transaction volume when Ethereum mainnet fees made blockchain gaming costly. The sidechain supported heavy NFT trading during 2021–22. As trading volume and player activity declined, maintaining a standalone network became more expensive, leading Sky Mavis to migrate Ronin to layer-2 infrastructure that offers comparable throughput and lower fees while inheriting Ethereum’s security guarantees.

The crypto gaming sector has experienced a wave of project closures and funding cutbacks since 2025, with several teams citing reduced venture capital and lower player engagement. Some recent game shutdowns on Ronin and other chains have reduced the number of active projects and affected token valuations linked to gaming ecosystems.

Users should back up private keys and follow Sky Mavis’ official channels for migration instructions, timing updates and guidance on asset availability. The migration will change how rewards and fees are distributed and align Ronin’s technical and economic setup with existing Ethereum layer-2 networks.