Sony-Backed Soneium Plans Native Token Launch

Sony-backed Ethereum layer-2 network Soneium plans to issue a native token, $SONEIUM, designed to connect entertainment creators, intellectual property holders, builders, fans, and investors. The plan, announced on October 26, 2026, centers on tokenized intellectual property, with products spanning royalty-backed assets, entertainment investment, and automated revenue sharing. The network is developed by Sony's blockchain division, Sony Block Solutions Labs. Soneium stated that tokenized intellectual property is used to represent the future economic value of creative works on-chain, allowing creators to raise funds from fans and investors and share commercial revenue through automated revenue distribution. Related tokens can represent creators, studios, or individual works, in forms including collectibles for fan activities or fungible tokens circulating within that intellectual property's economy. Soneium Portal is positioned as an entry point for intellectual property discovery, issuance, and investment, with royalties paid automatically via smart contracts. IP Vault aims to support royalty-backed assets and provide indirect participation in opportunities such as music catalog funds; IP Bonds will be backed by entertainment businesses. Initial projects focus on Asian pop culture, with partners including Super State Holdings and DayOneDream's WAVIST platform. The former starts with the character Moriusa, while the latter targets concert business royalties through WAVIST, involving artists including BTOB and Lee Chae-yeon. Soneium's mainnet launched on January 14, 2025, built on Optimism's OP Stack, with transaction fees paid in ETH and the stablecoin USDSC already used for settlement. It hosts over 250 applications, with approximately $9.38 million locked in applications. Sony invested $13 million in infrastructure partner Startale Labs in early 2025.