If you don’t know Sony yet, you can understand its global influence through these numbers:
1. More than 900 million Sony devices are in use (TVs, cameras, audio devices, PS game consoles, mobile phones, etc.)
2. A digital media empire that spans movies, music and games, with 116 million active users, and the video game device PS2 has sold more than 150 million units worldwide.
Sony ranks as the 131st most valuable company in the world with a market capitalization of US$117.45 billion, with revenue of US$87.483 billion between June 2023 and June 2024.
Sony has just established a blockchain department and launched the Ethereum Layer-2 network Soneium. Some domestic users call it "Sony Chain" and are committed to providing an open Internet for creators.
Quickly understand the Sony chain Soneium
Soneium is an Ethereum Layer-2 co-founded by Sony and Startale Labs, the latter of which is famous for building the Astar Network, Japan's largest public chain.
Soneium is a universal blockchain platform for creators and developers, and Startale provides its expert blockchain development knowledge to build upon it, leveraging Sony's global reach to expand.
Soneium is built on OP Stack and integrated with Optimism Superchain.
Going mainstream is the purpose of Sony Chain. Soneium's Official Twitter has mentioned "Go Mainstream" more than ten times, and cleverly borrowed the abbreviation GM (Go Mainstream) most commonly mentioned by Web3 users, which is very popular among Web3 users. Who says people from big Web2 companies don’t understand Web3?
Soneium x Astar Network
Astar Network is reshaping its Astar zkEVM into Soneium L2 (by migrating, not simply renaming) to unlock new potential. As the announcement states, partnering with Sony Group enables Astar to leverage its expertise in entertainment, gaming and finance to integrate Web3 technology into real-world applications to reach a wider audience.
Announcement: https://x.com/AstarNetwork/status/1826832310949347807
The rebrand promotes the growth of the Astar ecosystem, enhances interoperability, and increases the value of $ASTR through higher sequencer revenue, a broader user base, and greater utility.
$ASTR will provide support for the Soneium ecosystem, but the Gas token will still be $ETH. Soneium has no immediate plans to launch a native token.
Soneium Minato Testnet and Spark Incubation Program
The Soneium Minato testnet launched on August 28 as a proving ground for developers and builders to build and experiment with dApps.
Users can bridge the ETH test currency from the Sepolia test network to Minato through Soneium's native cross-chain bridge.
https://bridge.soneium.org/en/testnet
Soneium Spark is an ecosystem builder-focused program that provides investments of up to $100,000 per team to visionary developers, creators, and projects. Additional support includes marketing, business and technical assistance.
The first batch of Soneium Spark projects have begun accepting applications, and the incubation will begin in mid-October and continue to bring new applications to the Sony Chain ecosystem.
List of 60+ ecological projects
In just half a month, Soneium has announced the development or integration of more than 60 projects. With the triple halo of Sony's global influence, vision to reach mainstream users and Spark project, more projects are about to be launched. Next, we will introduce and classify them one by one to give an overview of the rapidly developing Sony Chain ecosystem.
We divide ecological projects into eight categories: SocialFi, GameFi, RWA, DeFi, NFT, infrastructure, protocols and cross-chain bridges.
1. SocialFi
Yay!
Yay! is a popular Web2 social platform that aims to become a virtual world where users connect through interests. Since its launch in 2020, the number of users has exceeded 9 million and there are more than 100,000 online communities.
In August 2023, Yay! began to transform into Web3 Social-Fi applications, first integrating Worldcoin, and then cooperating with leading Web3 protocols such as LayerZero.
Yay! immediately officially announced its cooperation with Soneium and launched an ETH staking activity with a limit of 1,000 ETH (can be released at any time). Participants will have priority in obtaining future rights and interests (such as native tokens, NFTs), and the limit is full.
https://dashboard.yay.spa ce/stake
Metadomo
Metadomo is a decentralized "loyalty points" trading platform that connects users' traditional loyalty program points (airline miles, credit cards, telecom points) and game points with global merchants (100,000 merchants worldwide). By spending points on the platform, you can earn the native token $DOMO.
Built based on the Soneium network, the product has not been launched yet and coins have not been issued.
Layer3
Layer3 is an innovative Web3 task platform. Compared with top task platforms such as Galxe, the advantage for project developers is that it can generate a unified identity on the user chain by aggregating user activities across multiple chains and dApps. Review to achieve highly targeted and efficient token distribution.
Currently, the platform has more than 4 million users and more than 100 million social interaction data.
Layer3 immediately released a task activity to explore Soneium, exploring the Soneium Minato test network through tasks such as asset cross-chain and joining Discord. There are currently more than 47,000 participants.
https://app.layer3.xyz/quests/the-soneium-minato-testnet
2.GameFi
Heal3
Heal3 is a health GameFi based on Astar zkEVM. Players need to purchase NFT clothing (tops/pants/shoes) and earn $GHT tokens through sleep, diet management, and outdoor exercise. The rarer the NFT, the greater the token reward, and the tokens can be used to upgrade the NFT or trade the NFT.
GameFi, one of the few companies in the Astar ecosystem that is up and running, has not yet been announced, but it is very likely that it will be migrated to the Soneium network.
Derby Race
Derby Race is a horse racing prediction game based on Soneium. Strictly speaking, it is a GambleFi product and is under development. The team has developed similar games xDerby Raffle and Derby On-chain Race.
Metapro
Metapro (Meta Protocol) is an innovative platform focusing on GameFi. Its main functions include development portal (providing GameFi development tools), Launcher (game online and token issuance), and Web3 wallet (asset wallet suitable for Metapro game ecology).
Metapro announced for the first time that it will support the Soneium chain in its game wallet.
SuperVol
There is no detailed information about SuperVol yet, but it may be a gamified binary options/prediction market.
3. RWA
All Access
All Access is a fan economy platform and a brand growth platform. The platform partners with 50+ offline events/celebrities to allow fans to earn points and redeem them for VIP experiences, while also providing brands with a way to directly engage and reward their most loyal fans through a decentralized solution.
The currency has not yet been issued, and the specific method of building on Soneium has not been announced yet.
OpenEden
OpenEden is an on-chain U.S. Treasury bond protocol that allows users to invest in U.S. Treasury bills (T-Bill) by holding its native stablecoin TBILL to obtain an estimated annualized return of 4.89%. TVL exceeds $100 million.
- Users deposit USDC into the OpenEden vault and obtain TBILL tokens
- TBILL tokens are pegged to U.S. Treasury bonds and earn income
- Users can redeem TBILL on the chain at any time and obtain USDC
Team members come from Web2 and Web3 giants such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Gemini, and Binance.
The currency has not yet been issued, and the specific method of building on Soneium has not been announced yet.
DeStore Network
DeStore Network is a Web3 e-commerce platform in the Astar ecosystem, enabling enterprises to sell digital twin assets (physical + digital assets) in Web3.
The currency has not been issued yet, but it will definitely be migrated to Soneium. It is worth paying attention to the opportunities in the testnet.
4. DeFi
Ionic
Ionic is a multi-chain lending platform that currently supports Optimism, Base, BOB, Mode and other L2 networks, with a TVL of over US$200 million.
The currency has been issued, and the official hints that the Soneium network will be supported soon.
L2X Pro
L2X Pro is a DEX on Astar zkEVM, aiming to become Astar's trading and liquidity center, and its TVL is not very high.
The currency has not been issued yet, but it has been confirmed to be migrated to Soneium. It is worth paying attention to the opportunities in the testnet.
Very Long Swap
Very Long Swap is a DEX on Astar zkEVM. It has functions such as Swap, LP, perpetual contract, IDO, etc. The TVL is currently only US$176,000.
Currently, the beta version has been launched on Soneium, and task activities have been released on Layer3.
Test version: https://testnet.verylongswap.xyz/
L3 tasks: https://app.layer3.xyz/quests/trending-now-swap-on-soneium-minato
Algem
Algem is an LSD protocol on Astar zkEVM. Users pledge ASTR in it and will receive the same amount of nASTR. While earning pledge income, they can also trade the flowing nASTR to obtain income, or use it in the LSDFi protocol. Affect capital efficiency.
Algem's user profile is among the best in the Astar DeFi ecosystem. It has not issued coins yet and has decided to migrate to Soneium. It is worth paying attention to the opportunities in the testnet.
waveX
waveX is a native sustainable DEX on Soneium, First on Soneium, and is under development. The highlight is that it will integrate various LSTs, such as the nASTR mentioned above, and Ethereum's stETH, etc., which will not only enrich waveX's capital pool, but also add additional income to LST holders.
Currently there is a TG mini game: https://t.me/wavex_treasurehunt_bot
Fill out the form to draw USDT after playing the game: https://gleam.io/fMTSs/treasure-hunt-airdrop-event
UntitledBank
Untitled Bank is a native decentralized lending platform on Soneium that still features efficient liquidity management, a risk-isolated lending structure, and a modular design that enhances flexibility and security.
Under development, no further information is available yet.
Velodrome
Velodrome is a veteran DEX in the Optimism ecosystem and is also TVL’s No. 1 DeFi protocol. Through the issuance of its native token VELO and the distribution of veVELO (veNFT), it rewards users with liquidity (LPs) and active participation in governance.
It expressed support for Soneium at the first time, but did not announce specific integration.
Avalon Finance
Avalon Finance is a multi-chain lending platform that has been deployed on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Scroll, BNB Chain, Bitlayer, CoreDAO and other chains. But in fact, it still focuses on lending in the BTC ecosystem, supporting the deposit and borrowing of BTC LST tokens. Avalon has the largest market size on the Bitlayer chain, with total lending of $280 million, followed by Merlin and CoreDAO.
Two modes,
- Decentralized lending: multi-chain, supporting BTC LST
- CeDeFi Lending: Connecting DeFi with institutional CeFi liquidity providers, TVL of nearly $80 million.
No coins have been issued yet. Lending may be supported on the Soneium testnet in the near future, or may be supported as soon as possible after the mainnet. It’s worth keeping an eye on the opportunities in the testnet.
C14
C14 is Astar zkEVM’s decentralized lending platform, and its market size is not very large.
The currency has not yet been issued, and the migration to Soneium has been confirmed. It is worth paying attention to the opportunities in the test network.
Sake Finance
Sake Finance is the native lending platform on Soneium and should be over-collateralized.
Currently, you can get OG status by joining Sake Finance's Discord community and doing task draws in the faq channel. Officials hinted that a beta version might be launched in September.
DC mobile: https://discord.gg/jmnr4rNR
Neemo Finance
Neemo Finance is an LSD protocol of the Astar network. Like the Algem mechanism mentioned above, users can obtain nsASTR by staking ASTR. While enjoying the staking income, they can also trade nsASTR at any time or invest in the LSDFi protocol.
It was launched on the Astar mainnet on September 9 and has been confirmed to be migrated to Soneium. It is speculated that it may be on the mainnet. No coins have been issued yet.
QuickSwap
QuickSwap is an established DeFi protocol on Polygon and hints that it will support the Soneium network in the future.
Solv Protocol
Solv Protocol is an old DeFi protocol, focusing on ERC-3525, which aims to tokenize various future cash flows, thus bringing new asset categories to the industry.
This year, we stepped on the BTCFi track and issued SolvBTC, a Bitcoin packaging coin with full-chain income, which was very popular. SolvBTC is deployed on the Bitcoin mainnet, Ethereum, BNB Chain and other chains. Solv serves as a unified liquidity portal, integrating various liquidity resources and investment opportunities into one platform. Users do not need to access multiple different platforms or protocols to manage their investments on Solv Protocol.
Solv has also hit the LSD track and launched the LSD function for SolvBTC. By staking, you can obtain LST tokens SolvBTC.BBN (Babylon pledge) and SolvBTC.ENA (Ethena pledge). Not only can you get income, but you can also use it in the LSDFi protocol. Potential additional revenue.
The currency has been issued and it is announced that it is being built on Soneium.
SynStation
SynStation is a token staking protocol built natively on Soneium.
Currently, a staking activity to earn points has been launched on the Ethereum main network. ETH, USDT, USDC and WBTC can be pledged. Assets will be migrated after Soneium launches the mainnet. The first 100 users who pledge 10 ETH can get OG NFT and DYOR.
SoneFi
SoneFi is the native DeFi platform on Soneium, providing Swap, perpetual contracts, Launchpad and other functions.
The test version is now online, you can collect test coins to swap and group LP.
5. Infrastructure
Alchemy
Soneium is an officially announced technology partner and will launch APIs and developer tools in September.
Graph Protocol
Soneium’s officially announced technology partners will provide developers with safe and reliable on-chain data.
Sentio
Soneium's officially announced technology partner, Sentio is an on-chain monitoring tool that can help developers track and collect events, transactions, and status of smart contracts.
Thirdweb
The full-stack Web3 development platform will soon be integrated with Sony Chain.
Tokens and NFT can be deployed, and test network tx can be added:
https://thirdweb.com/thirdweb.eth/DropERC721/deploy
Python Network
Soneium's officially announced infrastructure partner has deployed a real-time price data oracle.
Sequence
Sequence is an infrastructure partner of Soneium and is a full-stack Web3 developer platform that provides tools such as wallets, markets, smart contract management, indexers, and game engines. Integrating Soneium network.
6. NFT
Bluez
Bluez is an NFT market on the Astar network. The coins have not yet been issued and will be migrated to the Soneium network.
Sonova
Sonova is an NFT market on the Astar network. It has not yet issued coins (it has a TGE plan) and has confirmed its migration to the Soneium network. It is worth paying attention to the opportunities in the test network.
NFTs2Me
NFTs2Me is an NFT deployment platform that supports developers to quickly create and deploy NFT collections without coding.
Support for the Soneium testnet has been added. Deployment tool: https://nfts2me.com/app/soneium-minato-testnet/
NFTs2Me issued a commemorative NFT on the test network, with 0 casting fees. You can go to Mint to get one, which can be regarded as leaving a standard tx. DYOR.
https://angry-raccoon.testnet.nfts2.me/
7. Agreement
Astar zkEVM is the foundation, Optimism ecological new star project, Circle will support USDC as a founding partner.
8. Cross-chain bridge
Chainlink
Chainlink serves as a founding partner and integrates the Soneium network.
Layerswap
Layerswap is a multi-chain cross-chain bridge that supports cross-chain assets between 35 L1/L2 and more than 15 centralized exchanges.
Layerswap has integrated the Soneium test network and can cross-chain assets from Ethereum Sepolia, Loopring Sepolia, Arbitrum Sepolia, Immutable zkEVM Testnet and other test networks to the Soneium test network.
The currency is not issued, so it is worth cross-chain interaction between multiple testnets and Soneium on Layerswap, and can also be used as tx.
Superbridge
Superbridge is a cross-chain solution based on Rollup that supports users to cross-chain assets between any OP Stack or Arbitrum Nitro chains. The goal is to support all Rollups on the market.
Superbridge will support cross-chain assets after the Soneium mainnet is launched.
Owlto Finance
Owlto Finance is a cross-chain bridge designed to support various Rollups and CEX. It now supports cross-chain operations from Soneium Testnet to Ethereum Sepolia, Plume Testnet, and Bera Bartio.
For unissued coins, it is worth doing some testnet cross-chain interaction as tx.
Orbiter Finance
The multi-chain cross-chain bridge Orbiter has added support for Soneium in the test network and will support the mainnet in the future.
Summarize
1. Soneium, developed by Sony, is a new Ethereum Layer-2 designed to provide an open Internet for creators.
2. Sony's household name and proven global reach may generate significant interest in Soneium among Web2 users.
3. However, the market is already crowded with many L2 solutions, so it remains to be seen how much attention Soneium will gain from Web3 users and mainstream users.
