Japanese electronics company Sony is developing its own blockchain, Soneium, in collaboration with Singapore-based web3 infrastructure provider Startale. The Soneium testnet will go live soon, offering developers a platform to create applications, laying the groundwork for a future public release.
Sony’s new blockchain aims to decentralize the internet, combating the centralization of information and economic power by a few entities. Soneium aims to address web3 challenges like limited adoption and lack of practical use cases.
Startale Chief Executive Sota Watanabe stated that Soneium’s initial year will focus on onboarding core web3 users. In the second year, Sony products like Sony Music and Sony Pictures will be integrated. By the third year, other enterprises and decentralized applications will be invited to build on Soneium.
The Soneium testnet will use optimistic rollup technology via the Optimism (OP) OP Stack and integrate Startale’s Astar zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machine, enhancing liquidity and support for tokens.
Sony plans to explore integrating Soneium with its other businesses, creating decentralized apps for new and existing web3 users. The infrastructure aims to protect content rights and establish new profit-sharing models for creators.
Web3 focuses on decentralization and user empowerment but faces challenges like scalability and interoperability. Sony targets "internet-level scalability" for Soneium to achieve mainstream adoption.
Earlier this year, Sony partnered with Siemens to create industrial metaverse applications, resulting in a mixed reality headset for web3 designers and engineers. Additionally, Sony acquired Japanese crypto exchange Amber, now rebranded to S.BLOX, managed by Startale CEO Watanabe.
