Japan’s tech giant, Sony, has announced its plans to create its own blockchain, Soneium, built as a Layer-2 solution on Ethereum. This new blockchain will leverage OP Stack technology from Optimism.
Soneium
An increasing number of traditional companies are entering the promising blockchain space. On the morning of August 23, 2024, Sony made it official that it is developing its own blockchain technology.
The blockchain, named Soneium, will be an Ethereum Layer-2 solution, utilizing the OP Stack from Optimism. This move is strategic, as building on Ethereum offers more advantages than creating a new Layer-1 blockchain to compete with established players like Ethereum, BNB Chain, or Solana.
Moreover, building a Layer-2 blockchain has become more accessible thanks to fully integrated toolkits like OP Stack from Optimism, Arbitrum Orbit, and ZK Stack from zkSync.
Before Soneium, other notable networks such as Base by Coinbase, World Chain by Worldcoin, and Layer-2 Dango by Celo have also been developed using OP Stack. These networks can interconnect within a shared ecosystem known as the “Superchain.”
Soneium is expected to launch its testnet soon, allowing users to perform transactions on the Ethereum network at reduced costs.
Soneium is the result of a collaboration between Sony Group and Startale Labs, forming Sony Block Solutions Labs, headquartered in Singapore. Previously, in September 2023, Sony announced a partnership with Startale Labs to develop a proprietary blockchain, and now that partnership is bearing fruit.
Startale Labs is led by CEO Sota Watanabe, who also serves as a director at Sony Block Solutions Labs and is a co-founder of the Astar Network project. Startale Labs originated from the Astar Foundation, which maintains Astar zkEVM—a CDK toolkit from Polygon, a competitor to OP Stack.
Watanabe has stated that Startale Labs will now focus all its resources on Soneium and gradually transition away from Astar zkEVM.
Sony Block Solutions Labs issued the following statement:
"Astar zkEVM will integrate its assets and infrastructure with Soneium.
In the first year, our goal is to attract Web3 users to the network.
In the second phase, within two years, we plan to bring Sony's products onto Soneium, including Sony Bank, Sony Music, Sony Pictures, and more. Our aim is to integrate Web3 and blockchain technology into Sony's offerings.
Within three years, we not only aim to integrate Sony's products but also extend this to all businesses and decentralized applications."
However, Watanabe emphasized that these timelines are flexible.
“This is the general roadmap. We will work to onboard as many businesses as possible, as early as possible, starting in the first year."
