The Sonic Labs team has just announced an update on the Sonic Airdrop , marking a significant shift in the Token distribution approach as the network moves from a “bootstrapping” phase to a focus on building sustainable value.
Phase 1: Prioritize distribution
In the early days of any blockchain, the core goal is usually to get Token into the hands of as many users as possible to activate the ecosystem. Following the community governance vote on June 19, 2025, Sonic Mint 190.5 million S to fuel initial growth.
To date, Sonic has implemented the following distribution programs:
- Season 1: ~89.5 million S
- Season 2: ~6 million S
- Kaito Campaign: ~2.8 million S
Currently, approximately 92.2 million S are allocated for incentive purposes and are held in Sonic Labs' treasury. However, given market volatility and lessons learned from the "Airdrop meta," the team states they are reassessing the long-term impact of incentive programs.
Lessons learned from Airdrop
According to Sonic Labs, the crypto industry has witnessed a wave of large-scale Airdrop in recent years, which have generated short-term growth indicators but also brought about negative consequences.
Season 1 is considered a success because:
- Attracting over $1 billion in TVL during the migration from Fantom to Sonic.
- Accelerate infrastructure deployment, application onboarding, and listing on the stock exchange.
- This helped Sonic quickly establish his position right from the moment of his release.
However, the downside of large-scale incentives is the short-term user flow and Token Sale pressure. Once the initial goals are met, continuing distribution at the same rate is XEM unsustainable.
Therefore, Season 2 was designed to be shorter and more disciplined, with a drastically reduced Token distribution, prioritizing actual usage and the long-term health of the network, rather than chasing "flashy" metrics.
The next step: Selective growth.
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To build a sustainable ecosystem, Sonic says it will move away from the mass Airdrop model and shift to a targeted growth strategy.
Approximately 92.2 million S will remain for Airdrop and incentives during the 2026–2027 period, but will be used more selectively and with clearer direction. These Token will be centralized in a single wallet in the near future to increase transparency.
The team also confirmed:
- There are no plans to Mint additional Token for the Airdrop.
- The remaining Token can only be used for Airdrop, incentives, or burns.
Simultaneously, Sonic is XEM its tokenomics and burn mechanism, with the goal of ensuring that the network's actual usage translates into meaningful long-term value for participants.
Towards long-term consensus
According to Sonic Labs, transparency is not just about publishing data, but also about Chia the logic behind decisions. This new approach aims to synchronize benefits among users, builders, and the entire ecosystem. As the network expands, each Token will represent a larger share of real economic value, rather than being diluted by short-term attention.
Conclude
Sonic is shifting from a distribution phase to a value creation phase:
- From optimizing coverage to optimizing resistance.
- From short-term growth to long-term strength
