Sony Debuts Soneium Mainnet, Advancing Ethereum Layer 2 for Entertainment

Sony has officially launched its Ethereum Layer 2 platform, Soneium, following a testing period that lasted four months and drew in over 14 million users, the company announced Monday.

Developed by subsidiary Sony Block Solutions Labs (Sony BSL), the platform is designed to simplify blockchain interactions for creators and their audiences through tools like NFT-based fan engagement systems and an incubator program called Soneium Spark.

Its testnet phase began in August last year and processed some 47 million transactions, according to figures from Blockscout.

"Soneium is for everyone," Sony BSL Director Sota Watanabe told Decrypt in an interview. The plan, Watanabe claims, is to "onboard ordinary people" and have them use the tech without necessarily "knowing Web3."

Watanabe speaks to the concept of chain abstraction—where blockchain tech functions unnoticed and without human intervention—as key to increasing crypto user adoption.

"I believe that creativity transcends a lot of the boundaries," Watanabe said, speaking about how the platform is helping onboard creators to an on-chain economy.

There is a need to "make an entertainment layer" on top of Web3 as the "finance layer," Watanabe argues, claiming entertainment has the power to connect people.

Built on Ethereum layer-2 technology from the Optimism Foundation, Soneium leverages the OP Stack and Superchain architecture to deliver what it describes as a "blockchain that evokes emotion and empowers creativity,” a statement from the project shared with Decrypt reads.

The platform's development points to a shift in how major entertainment companies approach Web3.

Rather than focusing solely on NFTs or digital collectibles, Sony BSL says it is building infrastructure to support broader creator economies and is poised to leverage the Soneium platform across its subsidiaries for films, music, and games.

The Soneium Spark incubation program demonstrated this approach, selecting 32 applications from over 1,700 applicants. 

While not all projects will debut immediately, the selection process revealed strong developer interest in building on entertainment-focused blockchains.

Looking ahead, Sony BSL plans to explore new frameworks for protecting creator rights and mechanisms for equitable value distribution between creators and fans. The company aims to bridge Web2 and Web3 through user-centric design and real-world applications.

Sony BSL emerged as a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Startale Group Pte. Ltd., established in Singapore in 2023. The company, originally named Sony Network Communications Labs Pte. Ltd., rebranded to Sony Block Solutions Labs in August 2024.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair