SNEAK PEEK
- Sony debuts Soneium testnet to drive Web3 adoption across entertainment, gaming, and tech.
- Developer program offers up to $100K and access to exchanges, VCs, and Sony subsidiaries.
- Astar Network integrates zkEVM assets to enhance Soneium’s liquidity and Minato testnet growth.
Sony Block Solutions Labs has launched the first public testnet for its Optimism-based Soneium blockchain and introduced a developer incubation program. The move represents Sony Group Corporation’s strategic entry into the Web3 landscape, aiming to stimulate ecosystem growth and enhance the adoption of blockchain technology across various sectors, including entertainment, gaming, and consumer electronics.
The Soneium blockchain itself is constructed based on the Ethereum Layer 2 solution using the Optimism tech stack or the Op Stack for short. As a tool intended to low-cost environments for construction, Soneium seeks to address the creation of consumer applications. Some of the early entrants with the network are Circle, Optimism, Alchemy, The Graph, Chainlink, and Astar Network.
To further develop the network, Sony’s blockchain division, Sony Block Solutions Labs, has launched the Soneium Spark incubation program.
This will be in the form of up to $100000 for start up capital to qualified applicants besides putting applicants link up with exchanges and venture capitalists. Already, units of Sony like Sony Music, Sony Pictures, and the Sony Innovation Fund are expected to be part of this program, which shows the corporation’s serious intent to foster blockchain growth.
The Soneium project is a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Startale Labs. Initially launched in 2023, it has since been awarded to Sony Network Communications Labs.
Astar Network will play a critical role in this partnership by integrating its zkEVM assets and underlying infrastructure into Soneium to enhance the chain’s initial liquidity. Furthermore, the companies plan to make the ASTR token a key asset on the EVM-compatible Minato testnet.
Sony recently teased that the Minato testnet will serve as a public testing ground for the Soneium network. In addition to Astar’s contributions, collaborators such as Circle and Alchemy will engage in early experimentation, helping shape the blockchain’s development.
