Ronin, a popular Ethereum sidechain for games, is taking a revolutionary step towards scalability. They're launching a feature called Ronin zkEVM, which allows developers to build their own dedicated layer-2 chains on top of the Ronin network. This technology, built with Polygon's development kit, utilizes zero-knowledge proofs (zkEVM) for efficient processing.
The benefits of Ronin zkEVM are substantial. It offers massive scalability, enabling games to support a significantly larger player base compared to the current limitations of the Ronin chain. Developers gain enhanced control by creating dedicated environments for their crypto games. According to Ronin's co-founder, Trung Nguyen, the goal is to create a unified gaming experience, simplifying asset transfers, token swaps, and NFT trading across both layer-1 and layer-2 games within Ronin. Furthermore, the zkEVM technology ensures low transaction fees for users, contributing to a seamless and cost-effective ecosystem for gamers.
This is significant because Ronin, originally designed for the popular play-to-earn game Axie Infinity, has seen a surge in usage beyond its initial purpose. The network now hosts various third-party games, including the farming game Pixels, with millions of players. This move towards layer-2 chains positions Ronin as a major player in scalable blockchain gaming, similar to Avalanche's "subnet" approach.
Looking ahead, Sky Mavis, the developer behind Ronin, has hinted at the network's potential transformation into a layer-2 solution aligned with the Ethereum blockchain. Polygon's "AggLayer" approach has the potential to further unify different scaling networks.
While Ronin's innovations are promising, it's important to acknowledge the recent decline in the price of their RON token (down 27% in the past two weeks). This is a trend witnessed across the market, even in established projects like The Open Network (TON), where its token, Toncoin price has also seen fluctuations.
