Sony-backed Soneium unveils SONEIUM token plan

Sony (SONY)-backed Ethereum Layer 2 network Soneium has announced plans to introduce a native token called SONEIUM as part of an onchain entertainment strategy. On October 26, 2026, Soneium described SONEIUM as an economic layer designed to connect creators, intellectual property owners, builders, fans and investors within a single ecosystem.

Soneium is developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, Sony (SONY)’s blockchain unit, and is positioned as infrastructure for programmable rights in entertainment. The project aims to use the SONEIUM token to help align incentives across participants who typically do not share a balance sheet, while enabling new forms of investment and participation in creative assets.

While Soneium has confirmed the intention to issue the SONEIUM token, it has not announced a launch date or provided details on supply, distribution or any token generation event. Soneium said no token has yet been issued and that further information will be released later. This leaves the economic design and rollout timeline open, even as the broader product suite around tokenized IP is being outlined.

In the interim, the network continues to rely on existing onchain tools, including the USDSC stablecoin, which is already live on the mainnet and used for settlements. This allows activity around tokenized IP and applications to proceed while SONEIUM’s specific parameters are finalized.

A central component of the plan is the Soneium Portal, described as the main entry point for discovering, issuing and investing in tokenized entertainment IP. The Portal will initially focus on primary sales of IP-linked products and is expected to expand to fan participation features and automated royalty distribution over time. Royalty payments are to be executed through smart contracts, using rules defined by rights holders.

Two investment-focused products, IP Vault and IP Bonds, are planned to broaden financing options on the network. IP Vault is designed for royalty-backed assets and aims to provide indirect access to opportunities such as music catalog funds. IP Bonds will be backed by entertainment businesses and are intended to generate revenue tied to entertainment activities, creating additional ways for investors to gain exposure to IP-based cash flows.

Soneium’s initial projects emphasize Asian pop culture through collaborations with Super State Holdings and DayOneDream’s WAVIST platform. The Super State partnership begins with Moriusa, a character-based IP that fans and supporters will be able to help fund. Planned uses of this funding include expanding Moriusa into merchandise, animated shorts and broader licensing opportunities, giving backers a role in the character’s commercial development.

The partnership with DayOneDream focuses on bringing K-pop concert-business royalties onchain via WAVIST. This initiative involves artists such as BTOB and Lee Chae-yeon and is intended to let fans and investors participate in revenue from live entertainment. By tokenizing these royalties, Soneium aims to integrate concert income streams into its programmable royalty framework.

Soneium states that its network already hosts more than 250 applications across music, games, anime, film, collectibles and fan creations, with approximately $9.38 million locked in these applications. The existing activity provides a base of entertainment-related projects that could adopt SONEIUM and the tokenized IP tools as they roll out. Sony previously invested $13 million in Startale Labs in early 2025, and this infrastructure partner has worked with Sony on building the blockchain.

Beyond funding, Soneium’s strategy centers on making ownership, licensing and royalty arrangements programmable. Its Onchain IP Architecture, including an IP Registry, IP Graph and IP Execution Layer, is intended to register creative works, map derivatives and collaborations, and enforce predefined licensing, royalty and revenue rules. Soneium also intends to support ERC-8432, a proposed Ethereum standard that allows applications and autonomous AI agents to read licensing terms and verify agreements across platforms, aligning the blockchain with AI-assisted creation and rights management.