Sony launches Soneium mainnet to power fan-driven web3 experiences

Sony’s Soneium mainnet is officially live, offering creators faster, cheaper blockchain solutions and tools to connect with fans through NFTs and crypto.

On January 14, Sony built on the success of its 2024 testnet, Soneium Minato—which has attracted over 15 million wallets and 50 million transactions—by launching Soneium, a blockchain mainnet that helps artists connect more directly with fans.

Sony introduced S.BLOX, which revamps how people trade cryptocurrency, and teased an NFT-based Fan Marketing Platform set to arrive in early 2025.

The S.BLOX exchange offers users a simplified way to acquire crypto assets for participation in web3 applications. To mark its launch, S.BLOX is rewarding new users with Bitcoin (BTC) and has announced an upcoming NFT campaign in collaboration with Ghost in the Shell.

Meanwhile, its NFT-based Fan Marketing Platform, set to launch in February 2025 simplifies NFT issuance and engagement metrics, featuring integrated web-based wallets with social login options. The platform also provides creators with tools to engage with their audiences using NFT-based projects.

Developers and creators who used the testnet can now migrate their applications to the mainnet, unlocking practical applications such as fan-driven community events and in-app cryptocurrency payments.

Soneium functions as a layer-2 solution for Ethereum (ETH), building a network on top of the existing ETH layer-1 and handling data processing, solving issues such as slow data processing speed and increased fees that occur in layer-1.

Additionally, by leveraging Optimism (OP) stack developed by Optimism Foundation, Soneium creates a scalable, EVM-compatible, and developer-friendly blockchain.

Moreover, in 2024, Sony Block Solutions Labs partnered with Startale Group to develop Web3 infrastructure, a move that laid the groundwork for Soneium’s mainnet.