Sony launches Soneium blockchain to drive mainstream web3 adoption

• Sony launches Soneium blockchain to drive mainstream web3 adoption.
• Soneium focuses on scalability, built on Optimism’s Superchain.
• Soneium rollout will be in a three-phase plan: onboarding developers, integrating Sony products, and expanding to enterprises.

Sony has officially entered the blockchain arena with the launch of its own network, Soneium, developed in collaboration with Singapore-based Startale Labs.

The initiative, unveiled on August 23, marks a significant step in Sony’s strategy to push web3 technology into the mainstream.

The Soneium blockchain

Soneium is designed as a public Ethereum layer-2 network, built on Optimism’s Superchain. It aims to overcome some of the most pressing challenges hindering blockchain adoption, such as scalability and efficiency.

The infrastructure for Soneium has been supported by industry leaders, including Circle, Chainlink, Alchemy, Astar Network, and The Graph.

The blockchain will initially target web3 developers and enthusiasts. According to Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Labs, the first year will focus on onboarding these core users. In the subsequent year, Sony plans to integrate a range of its own products, such as Sony Music, Sony Pictures, and Sony Bank, into the platform.

By the third year, the company aims to open up Soneium to other enterprises and decentralized applications (dApps), creating a diverse ecosystem that encourages broader adoption.

Soneium testnet

In conjunction with the Soneium blockchain launch, Sony has rolled out a Soneium testnet in partnership with Astar Network. This testnet will provide developers with a fully-featured framework and built-in tools, allowing them to experiment and build applications ahead of the public release.

Astar’s zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machine (zkEVM) will also be integrated with Soneium, enhancing its capabilities with features like liquidity provision and support for both fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Sony wants to achieve internet-level scalability

Sony’s foray into blockchain is not without precedent. The company had previously acquired the Whalefin crypto exchange, which has since been rebranded as S.BLOX.

In 2018, Sony embarked on building a blockchain-enabled rights management system for digital content. In 2023, Sony Network Communications, a business division of The Sony Group, announced a strategic partnership with Astar Network to set up a web3 incubation program.

Sony’s ambitious plans for Soneium reflect its belief in blockchain as a transformative technology capable of decentralizing the internet and empowering users.

With a goal of achieving “internet-level scalability,” Sony is positioning Soneium as a key player in the future of web3.

This move by Sony underscores the growing momentum in the blockchain space, as major corporations increasingly explore and invest in decentralized technologies.