Deep Dive
1. Immutable Chain Merger (Q1 2025)
Overview: Merged Immutable X and zkEVM into a single chain, simplifying development and user interaction.
This technical overhaul unified two previously separate ecosystems, streamlining NFT and gaming transactions. Post-merger, daily transactions on zkEVM rose 5.7%, and new contract deployments surged 83.3% (Messari).
What this means:
This is bullish for IMX because it reduces fragmentation, boosts developer adoption, and improves transaction efficiency for Web3 games.
2. MEXC zkEVM Integration (August 2025)
Overview: Added direct IMX deposits/withdrawals to Immutable zkEVM for 40M+ MEXC users.
The integration eliminated bridges and swaps, reducing transfer times to <5 minutes. It leveraged zk-rollup architecture to maintain Ethereum-level security while slashing gas costs (Immutable).
What this means:
This is neutral-to-bullish for IMX, as improved liquidity access could drive usage, but depends on sustained exchange adoption.
3. Biweekly Staking Rewards (June 2025)
Overview: Shifted staking rewards to biweekly payouts tied to 2% of platform fees.
Rewards now require staking on zkEVM (vs. legacy Immutable X) and are calculated based on NFT transaction volume. This aligns incentives between stakers and ecosystem activity (CoinMarketCap).
What this means:
This is bullish for IMX because it directly ties staker rewards to network usage, creating a feedback loop for demand.
Conclusion
Immutable’s codebase updates emphasize scalability (via zkEVM), user experience (frictionless transfers), and sustainable incentives (staking reforms). These changes position IMX as a core infrastructure play for Web3 gaming. Will rising NFT volumes on Immutable Chain validate its technical edge in 2026?