Ronin Network’s Bold Leap: Ethereum Layer 2 Migration by 2026 Set to Reshape Gaming & DeFi

Game over for siloed chains—Ronin just played its winning hand.

The Axie Infinity sidechain drops its solo act, folding into Ethereum's Layer 2 ecosystem within 12 months. No more bridge hacks. No more fragmented liquidity. Just one-click access to DeFi's trillion-dollar playground.

Why TradFi should be nervous

Ronin's 1.7M daily active wallets won't just port assets—they'll drag mainstream gamers into onchain finance. Watch for yield farmers disguised as NFT breeders.

The scaling endgame

Zero-knowledge proofs meet battle-tested security. Developers keep Sky Mavis' custom EVM tweaks while inheriting Ethereum's validator army. A rare win for both sides of the scalability debate.

The cynical footnote

Wall Street's still pitching 'blockchain, not crypto' while gaming tokens quietly build the most used financial rails since Visa. Place your bets.

TLDR

• Ronin moves to Ethereum Layer 2 by 2026 to improve scalability and security.

• Ethereum’s recent advancements and Wall Street interest influenced Ronin’s decision.

• The new Ethereum Layer 2 will feature faster speeds, new tokenomics, and enhanced security.

• Ronin aims to expand beyond gaming and become a general-purpose blockchain.

Ronin, the blockchain developed by Sky Mavis for the Axie Infinity game, is set to return to the Ethereum ecosystem. Originally launched as a standalone blockchain in 2021, Ronin will transition to Ethereum’s Layer 2 network. This move, expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2026, aims to leverage Ethereum’s advancements in scalability, security, and growing institutional interest.

The Ronin team explained that Ethereum’s current capabilities, including lower transaction costs and improved speed, made it an ideal platform for growth. The decision is influenced by Ethereum’s resurgence, especially with its growing ties to Wall Street. The Ronin network, initially created to alleviate Ethereum’s congestion for Axie Infinity players, will now aim to broaden its use case beyond gaming, targeting a wider range of decentralized applications.

Ethereum’s Appeal and Ronin’s New Era

Ethereum’s progress in scaling, coupled with its adoption by institutional investors, played a central role in Ronin’s decision to migrate. In a recent announcement, Ronin stated, “Ethereum is back,” emphasizing the blockchain’s enhanced transaction speeds and lower costs, making it a more viable option for the future.

The ethereum network’s growing popularity among Wall Street investors has also made it more attractive for Ronin’s long-term strategy.

The development of Ethereum as a more “lean, nimble, and responsive” ecosystem has positioned it as a solid choice for projects seeking scalability and security. As Ethereum continues to attract institutional attention and capital, Ronin aims to benefit from these trends by migrating to the Layer 2 solution. The team believes that moving to Ethereum will offer more robust security and further support its scaling ambitions.

New Features with Ethereum Layer 2 Integration

With this shift, Ronin plans to adopt Ethereum’s LAYER 2 technology, which promises enhanced speed and efficiency. The network’s performance will improve, being “12 times faster” than before. Furthermore, Ronin will implement a new tokenomics model using Proof of Distribution.

This model will reward “active builders” based on their contributions, such as gas fees, treasury revenue, and total value locked (TVL).

By integrating Ethereum Layer 2, Ronin will ensure that developers can enjoy better security while maintaining control over their assets. Additionally, Ronin will adopt Ethereum’s data availability mechanism, which is expected to reduce costs significantly compared to compensating validators with its native RON token. This MOVE aligns Ronin with Ethereum’s vision of making decentralized finance (DeFi) more accessible and efficient for developers and users alike.

A New Strategy to Broaden Ronin’s Use Case

Ronin’s initial focus was primarily on gaming, driven by Axie Infinity’s success. However, with the migration to Ethereum Layer 2, Ronin will broaden its scope to become a general-purpose blockchain. This will allow the network to support a wider range of decentralized applications, beyond the gaming sector.

Ronin aims to establish itself as a “gamification engine” for the broader crypto ecosystem, providing scalability and secure transaction capabilities for various use cases.

The integration with Ethereum’s Layer 2 will also enable Ronin to tap into Ethereum’s vast developer ecosystem. With access to Ethereum’s security and scalability features, Ronin hopes to attract more developers to build on its platform. This shift will make Ronin a more versatile blockchain solution for different industries, expanding its reach beyond the gaming community.