Axie Infinity news

Axie Infinity’s Ronin network, which launched as a separate blockchain in 2021 to provide faster, cheaper transactions for its NFT game, announced a plan to return to Ethereum as a layer‑2 solution. The migration, slated to complete by Q2 2026, will unfold in two phases, converting the former layer‑1 chain into a general‑purpose L2 that can support non‑gaming applications. Ronin’s team cited improved speed and cost efficiency on the upgraded Ethereum network, along with growing institutional ties, as key drivers for the shift. The move comes amid a broader trend of Ethereum attracting Wall Street capital, with new treasury companies and equity‑wrapped Ether funds bolstering its appeal to traditional investors. By rejoining Ethereum, Ronin aims to tap this institutional momentum while expanding beyond its gaming roots.

Sky Mavis says the Sui‑powered game Seed Go infringes its Axie Infinity intellectual property, with co‑founder Alexander Larsen publicly calling out the project on Twitter and tagging Mysten Labs and Sui officials. The company has notified the Sui team and is seeking an out‑of‑court resolution, according to a Sky Mavis spokesperson. Seed Go, part of the Seed Combinator platform, uses pastel blob‑like NFTs and a token economy that echoes Axie Infinity’s SLP and AXS, and the game operates as a Telegram mini‑app. Although the Sui Foundation confirmed a small investment, it distanced itself from the game and said it does not support Seed. Axie Infinity remains a major force in crypto gaming, having earned more than $1.3 billion in revenue since its 2018 launch.

Token unlocks are set to occur this week, affecting liquidity, volatility, and sentiment across three major projects: Axie Infinity (AXS), Jito Labs (JTO), and Xave (XAV). Axie Infinity will unlock 10.72 million AXS (about 3.97 % of its 270 million supply) on April 12, a tranche valued near $29 million that will be allocated to staking rewards and the team. Jito Labs will release 11.31 million JTO (1.13 % of its 1 billion supply) on April 7, valued at roughly $20 million, with most tokens earmarked for ecosystem growth, core contributors, and a 10 % airdrop. Xave will unlock 313.29 million XAV (3.13 % of its 10 billion supply) on April 11, primarily distributed to the team, investors, and treasury to support its decentralized FX platform. Additionally, investors may watch for other unlocks such as Delysium (AGI), Parcl (PRCL), and Circular Protocol (CIRX).

The Axie Infinity team announced Atia’s Legacy, a new MMO on Ronin that expands the Axie universe with quests, treasure hunts, and Pokémon‑style combat. Players can swap Axies, level them together, and use gear ranging from common to legendary, while the game retains its pastel aesthetic and animal‑crossing‑style dialogue. Play‑tests will begin this year for selected users, though a launch date remains unconfirmed. Pre‑registration rewards offer up to 25,000 AXS tokens—worth roughly $88,000—shared among the top 200 referrers, plus a Mystic Axie NFT. Community activity has rebounded, with over 4.5 million monthly transactions from about 200,000 unique active wallets versus 15,000 in March, indicating growing interest in the franchise.

Bitcoin and other cryptos slipped over the weekend amid renewed concerns over Trump‑promised tariffs, but began to recover early Tuesday after tariff delays on Mexico and Canada were announced. Gaming tokens suffered the biggest losses, with Immutable’s IMX falling 14% from Sunday to Monday and still about 26% lower after a week. Other play‑to‑earn tokens such as SAND, GALA, AXS, MANA and PRIME dropped 21%‑30%, while Notcoin fell 35% and PIXEL fell 32%. Only a few assets posted gains, with Sui down less than 2%, Sweat Economy up 8%, and smaller caps like GoMining and Xterio moving higher. Deadrop, the shooter studio, shut down after layoffs tied to a co‑founder’s misconduct and a Twitch ban. The company cited an inability to recover from the scandal and urged its 55‑plus staff to seek new opportunities, while its social media presence was removed.

Sky Mavis announced a 21% workforce reduction, citing a strategic focus rather than financial strain, to prepare for 2025 growth. The studio will prioritize the Ronin wallet, marketplace, Axie Infinity, a new game for Q1 2025, Web3 publishing, and network expansion. W‑Coin, a Telegram tap‑to‑earn game on The Open Network, will burn 5% of a player’s tokens daily after three days of inactivity before its airdrop. Moonray, an Ethereum‑based arena battler, set an OpenSea record by giving away 220,629 free “Jadeon Adam” skins over 48 hours on Coinbase’s Base network. Other highlights this week include an Attack on Titan‑themed Sandbox launch, Captain Tsubasa: Rivals token reveal, and Boyaa Interactive’s transfer of $50 million in Ethereum to Bitcoin.

Sky Mavis, the developer of the Web3 game Axie Infinity and the Ronin blockchain, announced on X that it would cut 21 % of its staff in a strategic realignment. CEO Trung Nguyen said the layoffs were a shift in priorities to align resources with the company’s long-term vision, and that affected employees would receive severance and job‑search support. He insisted the move was unrelated to the recent downturn in NFT sales or the firm’s financial health. The company plans to redeploy freed resources toward a brand-new Axie Infinity game slated for launch in the first quarter of 2025, as well as enhancements to the Ronin Wallet, Mavis Marketplace, Web3 publishing, and network expansion. While the company’s token and NFT prices have fallen sharply, the layoffs are framed as a proactive step to position Sky Mavis for hypergrowth in 2025 and beyond.

Contrary to the expected uptober rally, the crypto market fell in early October amid Middle East geopolitical tensions, sending major assets to multi‑week lows. Despite the downturn, whales kept buying Toncoin, Ethereum, and Axie Infinity, showing long‑term confidence in those tokens. Toncoin, trading about $5.35 after a 9% drop, saw whale netflow surge 1,698% over the week, indicating a strong buying push. Ethereum fell 10% and its 30‑day and 90‑day MVRV ratios are –3.7% and –12.5%, respectively, prompting whales to add roughly 200,000 ETH (≈$476 million) to their holdings. Axie Infinity, down 14%, experienced increasing daily whale transactions over $100,000 since September 30, hinting at a shift in sentiment that could precede price appreciation.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has widened its lawsuit against Binance by adding several new tokens to the list of alleged securities, including Axie Infinity Shards (AXS), Filecoin (FIL), Cosmos’ ATOM, Sandbox’s SAND, and Decentraland’s MANA. In the updated complaint, the SEC claims Binance and its U.S. affiliate, BAM Trading, facilitated the trade of these unregistered securities and actively promoted them to customers as investment opportunities. The agency also reiterates that Binance operated illegally as an unregistered exchange, broker‑dealer and clearing agency, and failed to provide adequate disclosure of the risks and legality of token trading on its platforms. Critics have highlighted apparent contradictions in the SEC’s position, noting that the agency has called “crypto asset security” a made‑up term and has previously asserted that XRP is a security. The lawsuit reflects the SEC’s broader effort to regulate digital assets as securities and intensifies scrutiny of major crypto exchanges.