Sony, the major Japanese electronics company, has recently launched its new web3 division, Sony Block Solutions Labs (Sony SBL), to oversee the development of an Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) network.
On August 23, Sony announced in a press release that the newly created Sony SBL will handle all its blockchain-related and web3 projects.
The announcement revealed that Sony SBL is currently developing Soneium, an Ethereum L2 Blockchain, together with Startale Labs.
Soneium To Leverage Optimism’s OP Stack And Astar zkEVM
Sony SBL announced that the Soneium Blockchain will leverage Optimism’s OP Stack and support Astar Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) smart contracts. More so, Astar’s token (ASTR) will be a major asset in Soneium.
This announcement triggered an increase of about 6% in ASTR’s price within just 2 hours.
Soneium Blockchain To Promote Mainstream Web3 Adoption and Accessibility
According to the company’s announcement, the new Soneium blockchain is a public network that will make the adoption of Web3 technology accessible and mainstream.
Sony is opposed to the centralization of the current internet, where both economic power and information are controlled by a few. With Soneium, Sony believes the internet can become decentralized.
According to Sony SBL,
The new blockchain unites leading web3 projects and infrastructure pioneers, including Astar Network, Circle, Chainlink, Alchemy, and The Graph… to bridge the gap between decentralized innovation and everyday consumer applications in entertainment, gaming, and finance.
Sony SBL added that it is looking for new means of sharing profits between creators and fans, protecting creator-generated content, and enhancing interoperability across digital and real-world environments.
Sota Watanabe, Startale CEO, stated that during the first year, Soneium will not be available for the general public but for only Web3 core users.
However, several Sony products, such as Sony Bank, Sony Pictures, and Sony Music will be integrated into Soneium in the second year.
In the third year, Soneium will be available to enterprises and general users to build DApps
Sota Watanabe,
Through Soneium, we will make something people want and go mainstream beyond web3.
Currently, Soneium is preparing to launch its forthcoming testnet. It is also planning to release technical documentation and software development kits “in the coming weeks.”
This is not the first collaboration between Sony and Startale Labs. According to reports, in September 2023, Sony planned to partner with Startale Labs to build a blockchain but the project was later dropped. Sony also teamed up with Startale Lab in February 2023 to launch a Web3 incubator program.
