Axie Infinity’s game network, Ronin, will move from a gaming sidechain to an Ethereum Layer 2 built on the OP Stack on May 12. The change will transition Ronin from being an independent EVM chain to a rollup that settles on Ethereum, providing it with more security and connectivity. The company calls the move Ronin “coming home” to Ethereum after four years on a separate game chain.
The migration will occur at block height 55,577,490, estimated to be about 15:00 UTC on May 12. During the update, the network will suspend all on-chain activity for approximately 10 hours as validators enact the hard fork. Once the cutover happens, the new Layer 2 chain will run, and Ethereum will provide data availability and final settlement.
OP Stack Design and EigenDA Integration
Ronin’s new architecture uses Optimism’s OP Stack, the same framework that powers several other Ethereum Layer 2 networks in the Superchain. By adopting the stack, Ronin will replace its older nine-validator sidechain model with Ethereum-secured rollup infrastructure and shared tooling. The migration also brings Ronin into a shared ecosystem with other OP Stack chains like Celo and Fraxtal, which have made similar moves from alt‑L1 designs.
The upgraded network will integrate EigenDA to handle data availability for transactions. EigenDA stores transaction data off-chain while keeping it verifiable and accessible to Ethereum, which helps lower fees and maintain high throughput. Core infrastructure partners for the migration include Optimism, Conduit, Boundless, and EigenLayer’s EigenDA service.
RON Token Economics Overhaul
The migration also brings a major overhaul of RON token economics. After the upgrade, RON’s annual inflation rate will fall from more than 20% to under 1%, a more than 20‑fold cut. At the same time, marketplace fees that flow into the Ronin treasury will rise from 0.5% to 1.25%, and the treasury will also capture net sequencer profits on the new Layer 2.
Ronin plans to redirect about 90 million RON tokens, previously reserved for passive staking rewards, into the treasury to support richer ecosystem programs. The network will also phase out passive staking and the legacy validator system in favor of a contribution-based “Proof of Distribution” model that pays builders based on metrics like TVL, gas use, and user retention. Governance will shift to token‑weighted voting, giving RON holders a direct role in decisions on buybacks, DeFi initiatives, and treasury allocations.
READ MORE: Pi Network Price Forms a Risky Pattern Ahead of Protocol 23 Upgrade Deadline
