(1) Sky Mavis is the company behind Ronin, an EVM compatible blockchain that was developed specifically for Web3 gaming with player owned economies. The creators of Axie Infinity used Ronin as a way to alleviate high gas fees and slow speeds on the Ethereum network for gaming applications. Ronin has demonstrated its ability to be scalable through the support of millions of daily active users, and it has processed over $4 billion in NFT volume.
(3) Sky Mavis created the Ronin blockchain in February of 2021 to assist in the scalability of Axie Infinity.
(4) Ronin main net went live in January 2022, and was processing 15% of global NFT volume at that time.
(5) In March of 2022 a security breach occurred resulting in $600 million + being stolen, this caused Sky Mavis to improve their validators.
(6) They moved from Proof of Authority (PoA) to Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS), a consensus mechanism that provides enhanced security.
(7) Daily active user numbers increased 16X from early 2023, with numbers reaching 200k+.
(8) Katana DEX, Mavis Market, and ZK rollups were added to support developers.
Custom validator network with ZK rollup support
No native AI/ML capabilities; focused on high-throughput EVM execution for gaming dApps
Based on official docs and technical overviews
| Service | Cost | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction Gas Fees | Nearly $0 | Ultra-low fees optimized for gaming transactions | — |
| RON Staking | Variable (earn rewards) | Stake RON to secure network and participate in governance | — |
| Bridge Fees (Ethereum-Ronin) | Minimal | Low-cost asset bridging between Ethereum mainnet and Ronin sidechain | — |
| Feature | Ronin | Polygon | Immutable X | Arbitrum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consensus Mechanism | DPoS/PoA | PoS | ZK Rollup | Optimistic Rollup |
| EVM Compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gas Fees | Nearly $0 | Low | Zero (L2) | Low |
| TPS Capacity | 100,000 | 65,000 | 9,000 | 40,000 |
| Gaming Focus | Yes (GameFi optimized) | General + Gaming | NFT Gaming | General |
| Block Time | <3 seconds | 2 seconds | Variable | 250ms (target) |
| Free Tier | N/A (public chain) | |||
| API Access | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Decentralized Governance | DAO | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Security Model | Validator-based | Ethereum secured | ZK proofs | Fraud proofs |
Ronin offers gaming-specific optimization solutions for near zero fees and 100k tps whereas Polygon offers general scalability solutions at a much lower cost than Ronin. While Ronin provides a gaming specific solution, Polygon is a more widely adopted general L2 solution and also utilizes the full suite of ethereum security solutions.
Ronin for GameFi specialists; Polygon for diverse dApp ecosystems
Both Ronin and Immutable X are gaming focused L2 solutions however Ronin provides full evm compatibility and a general blockchain capability that goes well beyond simply minting NFTs. Immutable X has a strong focus on zero-gas NFT trading while Ronin focuses on creating complex gameplay economies.
Immutable X for NFT marketplaces; Ronin for full GameFi infrastructure
Arbitrum provides stronger guarantees of Ethereum security and is generally more appealing to developers than Ronin due to its superior gaming performance (sub-3 seconds) however, it sacrifices some degree of decentralization for this performance due to use of a proof-of-authority/dpos (PoA/DPoS) validator model.
Arbitrum for DeFi/general dApps; Ronin for high-throughput gaming
Ronin uses Coinbase’s extensive on ramp infrastructure to benefit base. Ronin has a deeper integration into the gaming ecosystem through Axie Infinity & Pixels. Both Ronin and Immutable X have very low fees, however Ronin is far more gaming native.
Base for easy consumer on ramps; Ronin for established gaming communities
Ronin is an EVM-compatible sidechain of Ethereum designed for web3 gaming. It utilizes delegated proof of stake to process transaction at high-speed with near zero fees. The games such as Axie Infinity and Pixels are native to Ronin.
Ronin provides sub-3-second block times, fees below $0.001, and 100+k tps capability when compared to the costlier and slower speeds of Ethereum. It’s designed for gaming but compatible with the EVM so developers can easily migrate to the platform. Assets move via the Ronin Bridge.
In 2022, Ronin experienced a $625 million bridge exploit caused by a compromise of the validator keys. Sky Mavis responded with enhanced security measures including the selection of validators via a dpso, and insurance coverage. Since then, the network has been operating securely, and the network has undergone numerous audits.
RON Transaction Fees, Validator Rewards & Governance – Ronin Chain RON is used to pay for transaction fees, support staking to enable validator participation and facilitate network governance. The total supply of RON will be 1 Billion with allocations for the ecosystem, the community and validators. In order for stakers to participate in the validation process, they receive rewards for their efforts.
Yes, you can move your ETH, USDC, and all other supported tokens by using the Official Ronin Bridge located at bridge.roninchain.com. Your assets will remain locked on Ethereum and a wrapped version will be created and available for minting on Ronin. Typically this process will take anywhere from 10-30 minutes.
Yes, Ronin is fully compatible with the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) and developers that write in Solidity are able to port their existing Ethereum DApps directly onto Ronin. High throughput gaming, NFT’s, DeFi, and all others applications that rely on the Ethereum platform will run seamlessly on Ronin. Developers can utilize the Ronin RPC Endpoints and testnet for development purposes.
Axie Infinity is the mainline title in the Ronin Ecosystem with Pixels being another key application. The Ronin Ecosystem has processed in excess of $4 Billion in NFT transactions. Multiple blockchain-based gaming titles are currently available within the Ronin Ecosystem, each optimized for mass player scale.
Ronin utilizes DPoS (Delegated Proof Of Stake), which allows RON token holders to vote on who will serve as validators for the community. Initially there were 9 trusted validators utilizing PoA but have since transitioned to allow broader community participation. While more decentralized than PoA, it is still gaming focused rather than maximizing decentralization.
Ronin is a battle tested gaming blockchain that delivers Ethereum scalability via side chain technology with proven real world adoption. The approach was validated by the massive success of Axie Infinity, despite a significant security incident, and subsequent enhancements made to improve the resiliency of the platform. Ronin is best positioned for Web3 gaming where user experience takes precedence over complete decentralization.
Ronin is a "purpose built" infrastructure for scalable Web3 gaming, where the emphasis is on speed and low cost rather than pure decentralization.
Ronin offers a special type of Ethereum sidechain scalability for gaming, that includes EVM compatibility, sub-second transaction time, and nearly zero fees. Has powered Axie Infinity ($4B+ in NFT sales), and emerging titles such as Pixels. Has been restored after being compromised by a security breach in 2022, via security upgrades and through the implementation of DPoS validator decentralization, while continuing to support gaming optimizations.
Good - comprehensive technical documentation and public blockchain data available. Limited enterprise/customer details as gaming-focused protocol. User support quality from community sources.
In March 2022 hackers stole $625 million from the Ronin Bridge using compromised validator keys. Following that Sky Mavis was able to obtain emergency funding, and made changes to improve multisignature, then they were also able to implement DPoS. The network returned to full operation after implementing better monitoring.
Although it is most well known as being used by the Axie Infinity game, Pixels has become very popular. It has been used as a DeFi platform, for example through Katana DEX, and has been integrated into oracles such as Pyth Network. This demonstrates that gaming platforms are capable of producing high volumes of NFTs.
Prior to transitioning to DPoS, the Ronin network operated under Proof-of-Authority (PoA) which allowed stakers of RON tokens to select validators. At the time of writing, there are nine + validators selected through the community process. The transition to DPoS allows the Ronin network to find an optimal balance between providing an efficient gaming experience and progressive decentralization.
The developers of Axie Infinity have received $152M+ in investment from a16z, Paradigm and Binance. As such, they have a strong background in the gaming industry and are likely to apply this knowledge to drive the Ronin roadmap and develop mass adoption use cases.
Through their partnership with Binance, users are now able to easily convert assets (e.g. ETH → SLP) for seamless use on Ronin. Additionally, the Pyth Network provides real-time price feeds to support both DeFi and Ronin Name Service, while Chainstack provides support for node infrastructure.
As a Polkadot-specific bridge, Ronin utilizes Ethereum L2 bridges.
Despite having an Ethereum-native gas token called RON, the Ronin network will be utilizing an Ethereum Data Availability Layer.
Upon completion of the upgrade, it will be possible for users to access Ronin via Ethereum L2 composability.
Low-latency gaming channels optimized for gaming.
Users can utilize EVM-compatible calls across the entire Ethereum L2 ecosystem.
| Mechanism | Parachain Implementation | Sidechain Implementation | Staking Requirement | Reward Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-Stake (PoS) | Collator selection + Polkadot validators | Ronin validators transitioning to L2 sequencer | RON staking with Builder Score | Proof of Distribution (PoD) rewarding builders |
| Validator Set Size | Dynamic collators (5-100+) | Gaming-optimized set (local sequencing) | RON token bond | 12x faster execution rewards |
| Block Production | Collators produce candidates; Polkadot validates | Local sequencer → Ethereum rollup posting | Economic security via RON | Builder-focused distribution |
| Slashing Penalty | Up to 100% stake loss for invalid proofs | Ronin slashing + Ethereum settlement security | Validator deposits | Redirected to active ecosystem contributors |
| Use Case | Sidechain Fit | Parachain Fit | Key Requirements | Recommended Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-Frequency Trading (HFT) | Good (100k TPS capable) | Excellent (shared security) | <100ms finality, low fees | Ronin L2 for gaming-adjacent trading |
| Gaming & NFTs | Excellent (proven Axie Infinity) | Good (XCM interop) | Sub-3s blocks, near-zero fees | Ronin (gaming-native L2) |
| Privacy-Focused Payments | Fair (gaming focus) | Good (zkSNARK support) | Confidentiality, minimal disclosure | Parachain for privacy; Ronin for public gaming |
| Micropayments & IoT | Excellent (<$0.001 fees) | Good (economical scaling) | Minimal cost, high volume | Ronin L2 (gaming micropayments proven) |
| Institutional Asset Custody | Fair (post-hack improvements) | Good (relay security) | Ethereum-grade security, auditability | Ronin post-L2 migration (Ethereum security) |
| Experimental DApps | Excellent (rapid iteration) | Excellent (ecosystem path) | Gaming SDKs, fast deployment | Ronin (Pixels, Axie developer ecosystem) |
Currently operating as a sidechain to Ethereum, but transitioning to an L2 rollup.
As a Polkadot-specific bridge, Ronin will continue to utilize Ethereum L2 mechanisms.
The ability to perform RON/ETH swaps via integrated DEX's.
Successfully avoided any security incidents following those previously mentioned.
Utilizes the Optimism L2 stack and includes Ethereum data availability layer.
