Soneium, the Sony-backed Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain, plans to issue $SONEIUM, a native token intended to connect entertainment creators, intellectual property owners, builders, fans and investors. The plan, announced on October 26, 2026, centers on tokenized IP, with products spanning royalty-backed assets, entertainment investment and automated revenue sharing.
Key takeaways
- $SONEIUM is planned as the economic layer for Soneium’s entertainment ecosystem.
- The Soneium Portal will bring IP investment and royalty distribution together.
- Initial projects include Moriusa character IP and K-pop concert royalties.
A native token for Sony-backed Soneium’s blockchain
Soneium intends the token to link five groups within an onchain entertainment economy: creators, IP owners, builders, fans and investors. The network is developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, Sony’s blockchain unit.
In its announcement, Soneium described tokenized IP as a way to represent a creative work’s future economic value onchain. The proposed model lets creators seek funding from fans and investors, with the option to share commercial proceeds through automated revenue splits.
An IP token can represent a creator, studio or individual title. It can take the form of a collectible used in fan activities or a fungible token designed to circulate within that IP’s economy.
The Portal brings investment and royalties together
The Soneium Portal is planned as the main entry point for IP discovery, issuance and investment, with royalty payments automated through smart contracts. Soneium says the platform will start with primary sales and expand into fan participation and royalty distribution.
Two planned products broaden the investment offering. IP Vault is designed to support royalty-backed assets and provide indirect access to opportunities such as music catalog funds. IP Bonds will be backed by entertainment businesses and are intended to generate entertainment revenue.
Moriusa and K-pop lead the initial projects
Soneium’s initial projects focus on Asian pop culture through partnerships with Super State Holdings and DayOneDream’s WAVIST platform. They cover character-based IP and the tokenization of K-pop royalties.
The collaboration with Super State Holdings begins with Moriusa. Soneium says fans and supporters will be able to help fund the character IP’s expansion into merchandise, animated shorts and wider licensing opportunities.
The DayOneDream partnership targets concert-business royalties through WAVIST. The initiative includes artists such as BTOB and Lee Chae-yeon and is intended to let fans and investors participate in revenue from live entertainment.
An existing network with more than 250 applications
Soneium’s mainnet launched on January 14, 2025, and users have paid transaction fees in ETH. The network runs on Optimism’s OP Stack, an open-source toolkit for building Ethereum Layer 2 networks.
Soneium says it hosts more than 250 applications, spanning music, games, anime, film, collectibles and fan creations. Approximately $9.38 million is locked in its applications.
The USDSC stablecoin is already live on the mainnet and is used for settlements. Sony invested $13 million in Startale Labs in early 2025; the infrastructure partner has worked with Sony to build the blockchain.
Programmable rights underpin the entertainment strategy
Soneium’s stated strategy extends beyond funding: it aims to make ownership, licensing and royalty arrangements programmable. The project presents tokenized IP as a way for creators to retain rights and interests while drawing support from their communities.
Sony-backed Soneium’s blockchain strategy also includes an Onchain IP Architecture designed for creative work and AI-assisted creation. Its proposed IP Registry, IP Graph and IP Execution Layer would register works, connect derivatives and collaborations, and support predefined licensing, royalty and revenue rules.
NFT-based fan engagement and funding routes for IP creators are already part of Soneium’s approach to connecting Web2 and Web3 audiences.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.