Ronin vs Ethereum in 2026: How the Layer-2 Change Works
Updated October 2026
Ronin vs Ethereum is no longer a contest between two rival blockchains. Since May 13, 2026, Ronin has been an Ethereum Layer-2 built on the OP Stack, so Ronin now sits on top of Ethereum rather than beside it. This guide explains what each network is, what changed for Ronin users, and how the two compare on facts you can check.
Key takeaways
- Ronin announced on May 13, 2026 that it moved from a sovereign Layer-1 to an OP Stack chain on Ethereum.
- RON is still the gas token on Ronin. ETH is the gas token on Ethereum.
- Ronin’s chain ID is 2020. Ethereum Mainnet’s chain ID is 1.
- In late 2021, Sky Mavis said Ronin’s daily transactions had reached roughly 4 times Ethereum’s. That was a company statement about late 2021, and the old Ronin chain no longer exists in that form.
What is Ethereum?
Ethereum is a public blockchain where people send ETH, run smart contracts and use applications. Its consensus mechanism is proof of stake. Ethereum’s own documentation says it “switched to proof-of-stake in September 2022.” Anyone using Ethereum Mainnet pays transaction fees, called gas, in ether (ETH). Ethereum.org states that gas fees “have to be paid in Ethereum’s native currency, ether (ETH).”
Ethereum Mainnet uses chain ID 1, and its native currency is ETH. Common block explorers for it include Etherscan, Blockscout and Routescan.
What is Ronin?
Ronin is a blockchain created by Sky Mavis, the studio behind Axie Infinity. Ronin’s documentation describes it as “An Ethereum L2 built for gamified experiences and real-world crypto adoption.” Its token, RON, pays for gas. For a wider introduction, see our beginner’s guide to Ronin Network, and for the token itself, read about the RON token.
Ronin began life as a separate chain built for Axie Infinity. In the story people usually tell about “Ronin vs Ethereum”, it was a standalone network that had its own validators and security. That is the version most older articles describe, and it is not how Ronin works now.
Is Ronin an Ethereum Layer-2 now?
Yes. On May 13, 2026, Ronin published a post titled “Ronin is Home.” It describes the change as “taking us from a sovereign L1 to an OP Stack chain.” The post also describes it as welcoming Ronin into the OP Stack ecosystem and credits Optimism for powering the migration.
A Layer-2, or L2, is a network that builds on Ethereum and relies on it for security. Ethereum.org says the test for whether a network counts as part of Ethereum is “whether the network stores its data on the Ethereum main network.” It names Base as an example of an optimistic rollup built with the OP Stack, which is the same toolkit Ronin now uses.
Ronin’s developer documentation lists the mainnet consensus as OP Stack and gives about 2 seconds per block. It also says finality takes “~12 minutes to finalize on L1.” Ronin’s post adds that it expects to use ZK fraud proofs in the future through Boundless Kailua. That is a stated plan from Ronin, not something this guide can confirm as live.
What changed for Ronin users?
Ronin’s announcement answers most of the practical questions directly.
- Gas token: No change. The post says, “Ronin will continue to use RON for gas.”
- Explorer: The post says the legacy explorer that used to live on app.roninchain.com was sunset, and the new explorer is at explorer.roninchain.com. Ronin’s network documentation page still lists app.roninchain.com as the block explorer, so the two Ronin sources do not fully agree.
- Bridging: Ronin told holders of Coinbase wRON that they “need to bridge it from Ronin to Ethereum after the migration.” Other users can read the announcement for their own token.
- Staking RON: The post says there is “currently no way to stake your RON and earn rewards.” Rewards now go to builders through a system called Proof of Distribution.
- Validators: Standard validators receive their RON after the migration with no action needed. Governing Validators have to vote to renounce their roles.
The Ronin documentation page describing the token still mentions staking, which conflicts with the blog post. This guide follows the later and more specific blog post. For buying the token, see how to buy RON.
Ronin vs Ethereum: comparison table
Every row below comes from Ronin’s documentation or announcement, Ethereum.org or ChainList. Fields that no source states are left out.
| Feature | Ronin | Ethereum Mainnet |
|---|---|---|
| Chain ID | 2020 | 1 |
| Gas token | RON | ETH |
| Type of network | Ethereum Layer-2 on the OP Stack (since May 13, 2026) | Layer-1 blockchain |
| Consensus or stack | OP Stack | Proof of stake |
| Block time | About 2 seconds | Not stated in the sources used here |
| Finality | About 12 minutes to finalize on L1, per Ronin’s docs | Not stated in the sources used here |
| Main focus | Gamified experiences and real-world crypto adoption, per Ronin’s docs | General purpose smart contracts |
| Explorers | explorer.roninchain.com (per the announcement) | Etherscan, Blockscout, Routescan |
What happened with Ronin and Ethereum transactions in 2021?
People often ask how Ronin’s transaction count compared with Ethereum’s in 2021. The best dated figure comes from Sky Mavis. In a statement reported by BitPinas on December 10, 2021, Sky Mavis said that “Ronin’s transaction volume has grown to roughly 4x the number of daily transactions of the Ethereum chain.”
That is a ratio from the game’s own developer, not an independent count, and it describes daily transactions in late 2021. This guide gives no exact daily totals for either chain because no primary source with raw numbers was found. The figure describes the old standalone Ronin chain, so it is history rather than a comparison with today’s Layer-2.
Which network fits which use?
The two networks do different jobs, and Ronin now depends on Ethereum rather than competing with it.
- Ethereum Mainnet is where people pay gas in ETH to use general smart contracts and applications on the base layer.
- Ronin is the network where Ronin’s own games, wallet and marketplace run, and where gas is paid in RON. Ronin’s site lists games such as Pixels and Fableborne, and a marketplace at marketplace.roninchain.com.
- Katana DEX is the exchange on Ronin, covered in our Katana DEX guide.
The old rivalry framing mostly belongs to the period before May 2026. Today the question is less “which chain wins” and more “which network does this app run on”.
What are alternatives to Ronin?
Readers also search for Ronin network alternatives. Ethereum itself is one answer, because Ronin now builds on it. Ethereum.org lists other Layer-2 networks, including Base, which it describes as an optimistic rollup built with the OP Stack, Arbitrum One, a general-purpose optimistic rollup, and Starknet, a general-purpose ZK rollup. Each has its own gas token rules, apps and communities, which the networks’ own documentation explains.
Katana Network, which has the KAT token and chain ID 747474, is a separate Ethereum Layer-2. It is not the same project as Katana DEX on Ronin.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ronin the same as Ethereum?
No. Ronin is its own network with its own token, RON, and chain ID 2020. Since May 13, 2026 it has been a Layer-2 that builds on Ethereum.
What is Ronin’s chain ID and gas token?
Ronin’s chain ID is 2020 and its gas token is RON, according to Ronin’s developer documentation.
Did Ronin leave its old chain behind?
Ronin’s May 13, 2026 post says it moved from a sovereign Layer-1 to an OP Stack chain. The same post says RON remains the gas token.
How do Ronin and Ethereum compare on transactions?
In December 2021, Sky Mavis said Ronin’s daily transactions were roughly 4 times Ethereum’s. That was a company statement about late 2021, not an independent count.
Can you stake RON now?
Ronin’s migration post says there is currently no way to stake RON and earn rewards. Rewards go to builders through Proof of Distribution.
Where do I look up Ronin transactions?
Ronin’s announcement names explorer.roninchain.com as the new explorer and says the legacy explorer at app.roninchain.com was sunset. Its network documentation page still lists app.roninchain.com.
Sources
