Ronin | Crypto

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

High value DeFi projects like Synthetix and Aave are making Ethereum L1 great again, as Ronin, Celo and Phala switch chains to become L2s. In recent months, a raft of alt-L1s joined Ethereum to become L2s, even as other projects on L2s switch back to the Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum L1 is reasserting its claim to be the home of high-value DeFi it has seven times more TVL than its nearest rival while the L2 model offers millions in potential savings, along with network effects for alt-L1s that join the ecosystem. Back in March, when bearishness around the extractive L2 roadmap was at its peak, mobile payments network Celo quietly closed down its validator network to become an L2. Now, its saving almost $7 million a year in operating costs. In August, blockchain gaming L1 Ronin announced it was coming home to Ethereum in early 2026, five years after network congestion forced its popular game Axie Infinity off mainnet. Ethereum has largely delivered on the scaling roadmap, says Jeffrey “Jiho” Zirlin, co-founde...

The Ronin team said that a more performant blockchain and Ethereum’s Wall Street appeal drove the decision to return to the ecosystem. Ronin, a purpose-built blockchain for gaming, said it will migrate back to the Ethereum ecosystem as a layer-2 network, making Ronin a general-purpose chain for applications beyond gaming. The blockchain originally spun off from the Ethereum mainnet in 2021 in search of better network speeds and cheaper transaction fees for Axie Infinity, a non-fungible token (NFT) blockchain video game. The Ronin team wrote: The team set a Q2 2026 target for the full migration from being a standalone layer-1 blockchain to an Ethereum layer-2 network. Read more

In Q1 2025, Ronin executed a pivotal transition to a permissionless architecture, enabling open smart contract deployment and catalyzing a sharp increase in developer activity. Key ecosystem highlights included OpenSea’s integration, the explosive debut of Tama Meme, and the $21M Fableborne presale. While financial and usage metrics declined QoQ amid market headwinds, native DeFi TVL increased and infrastructure upgrades like the Cerastes hardfork and Ronin Developer Console laid the groundwork for long-term scalability. With $23M in capital programs launched and several new game deployments, Ronin is positioning itself as a broader platform for gaming, DeFi, and consumer apps.