Introduction — A Quarter that Set the Tone
The first quarter of Mainnet Launch has set a transformative precedent for Soneium. Born from the visionary joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Startale Group Pte. Ltd., established as Sony Block Solutions Labs to build a new network infrastructure using blockchain technology, Soneium transitioned from a promising Ethereum layer-2 into a vibrant, active blockchain ecosystem.
Today, just three months after launch, the Soneium ecosystem already supports over 834,000 deployed smart contracts, reflecting a thriving community of builders actively creating and innovating. It holds over 5.1 million addresses and has processed more than 89 million transactions to date. The network also secures over $130 million in Total Value Secured (TVS), highlighting the growing trust and adoption of users and developers globally. These milestones exemplify our values: empowering creators and evoking emotion onchain.
Mainnet Launch — Turning Vision into Reality
On January 14, 2025, Soneium's Mainnet officially went live. This milestone was the culmination of extensive development, community feedback, and the successful Soneium Minato Testnet, which recorded over 47 million transactions and engaged more than 14 million active wallets, clearly demonstrated the significant demand for advanced creator tools. In just the initial weeks following the Mainnet launch, we saw more than 200 projects go live, underscoring the network’s capability and community enthusiasm.
Soneium Minato's rigorous testing provided essential insights that ensured the Mainnet launch was robust, scalable, and user-friendly, laying the groundwork for a decentralized future accessible to creators worldwide.
Community Campaigns — Engaging Builders and Users
Empowering our community was central to our strategy, leading to remarkable participation:
- 100M ASTR Allocation & Astar Contribution Score (ACS): With an unprecedented allocation of 100 million ASTR tokens, this integrated campaign was specifically designed to fuel substantial growth, support significant use cases on Soneium, and reward active community contributions through the ACS system. ACS evaluates a wide range of onchain activities, including dApp usage, governance participation, and community involvement. The introduction of ACS significantly increased user engagement and network activity, with tens of thousands of active contributors regularly participating and earning rewards based on their ecosystem impact. This approach incentivized long-term developer engagement, enhanced ecosystem resilience, and promoted sustainable community-driven innovation.
- Soneium Conquest - Galxe Onboarding Campaign: A dynamic, comprehensive campaign involving interactive tasks, onboarding experiences, and builder-focused initiatives that resulted in over 25 new decentralized apps (dApps) and the onboarding of over 200,000 new users within a month, significantly expanding our community’s reach and engagement.
- Ecosystem Badges: Our badge system recognizes early contributors and active community members, strengthening community loyalty and encouraging deeper participation.
Strategic Collaborations — Bringing Culture Onchain
The first quarter of the Mainnet Launch was marked by significant collaborations that extended our reach and diversified our platform:
- LINE Mini App Integration: By integrating Soneium directly into LINE Mini Apps, we significantly lowered entry barriers for millions of LINE users globally. This integration enables seamless blockchain experiences within the familiar LINE interface, bringing users closer to the possibilities of an open, creative, and connected onchain future.
- OpenSea's Launch on Soneium with YOAKE: OpenSea’s integration on Soneium kicked off with a series of successful NFT mints, including the prominent multimedia franchise "The Seven Deadly Sins" led by YOAKE. This campaign alone attracted over 11,000 participants, minting more than 16,600 NFTs, demonstrating strong engagement and community enthusiasm.
- Sonova & Coop Records' NUU$HI and ROHKI Collections: Sonova launched the NUU$HI and ROHKI collections in collaboration with Coop Records (led by Cooper Turley), showcasing innovative music-related NFTs and strengthening ties within the music and creator economies.
- aibo SBT Mint: Leveraging Sony’s iconic IP, the aibo Soulbound Token (SBT) mint achieved remarkable success, with over 130,000 wallets minting more than 40 million SBTs. This initiative exemplified the power of integrating beloved traditional IP into onchain experiences.
- S.BLOX & "Ghost in the Shell" NFTs: Partnering with S.BLOX to mint iconic "Ghost in the Shell" NFTs, we bridged traditional IP with blockchain innovation, resonating deeply within the anime and crypto communities.
Each collaboration reflected Soneium’s ability to transcend cultural barriers, solidifying our position as the blockchain of choice for culturally relevant, innovative applications.
Soneium Spark — Incubating the Future
Soneium Spark incubation, initiated in late 2024, gained momentum throughout the first quarter of the Mainnet Launch. Designed to cultivate groundbreaking blockchain innovations, Spark provided participants with expert mentorship, strategic guidance, and investments of up to $100,000 per team. Out of over 1700 applicants, 32 were selected for our first cohort, emerging across diverse projects in gaming, DeFi, and the creative sectors, reinforcing our commitment to empowering creators and builders with the resources they need to succeed.
Event Presence — Connecting with Builders and Visionaries
Throughout the quarter, Soneium actively engaged with the broader web3 community through a series of curated events designed to deepen relationships and expand our ecosystem reach. In February, we joined a co-hosted side event at Consensus Hong Kong, connecting with fellow builders and ecosystem partners to spotlight Japan’s growing role in the global web3 space. At ETH Denver, we co-hosted an exclusive web3 Gaming party with Blockus—gathering creators, developers, and gaming enthusiasts for a relaxed evening of connection, discussion, and discovery around the future of web3 entertainment. Rounding out the quarter, we brought our energy to GDC San Francisco with Gamers Unite, a community happy hour co-organized with Blockus. This gathering welcomed top investors, studios, and builders in a casual setting to share insights, ideas, and strategies for the next evolution in gaming. These events reflect Soneium’s continued commitment to community building, cultural relevance, and creative collaboration.
Looking Ahead — Expanding Global Impact
Moving forward into the next quarter, we aim to build upon the strong foundation established in the first quarter with a series of ambitious initiatives. We’re particularly excited about the Agent Hackathon on Soneium, which will spark innovation around AI, Agentic AI, DeFi, and the Creator Economy, helping to shape next-generation applications on Soneium.
Continuous expansion of existing partnerships and proactive pursuit of new collaborations will further enhance our global reach and ecosystem diversity. Coupled with strategic technical enhancements and educational workshops, these initiatives will ensure Soneium remains at the forefront of blockchain innovation, providing enhanced usability, security, and scalability for developers and users alike.
Conclusion — Join Us in Shaping the Future
The first quarter from the Mainnet Launch marked just the beginning of Soneium’s exciting journey. With a vibrant community, innovative projects, and transformative partnerships already in place, we're set to continue reshaping the digital landscape. We invite creators, developers, and dreamers everywhere to join us in this adventure—building a truly open, emotionally engaging internet together. The future is here, and it’s being built on Soneium.