Sony Block Options Labs, a subsidiary of Sony Group, has unveiled plans to develop Soneium, an Ethereum Layer-2 community designed to speed up blockchain expertise adoption, based on an Aug. 23 assertion.
The layer-2 community—a results of a collaboration with blockchain infrastructure supplier Startale—seeks to bridge blockchain expertise (Web3) with on a regular basis web companies.
This undertaking indicators Sony’s ongoing enlargement into the digital asset house. Sony Group hinted at launching a crypto trade in July after buying Amber Japan’s WhaleFin trade. The tech big plans to rename and relaunch the trade, though the timeline stays unclear.
Soneium
The community can be designed as a flexible, general-purpose blockchain with aggressive options, mixing parts from leisure, gaming, finance, and different sectors.
Soneium would leverage the Op Stack and Superchain developed by the Optimism Basis. A testnet might be launched within the coming weeks to supply builders with hands-on expertise.
A number of crypto protocols, together with Chainlink and the Astar community, are already becoming a member of the undertaking as launch companions. Astar mentioned its zkEVM answer would transition into Soneium, and its native ASTR token will play an important position throughout the deliberate layer-2 answer.
Jun Watanabe, Chairman of Sony Block Options Labs, highlighted Soneium’s alternative to introduce blockchain expertise to a world viewers by leveraging Sony’s in depth attain throughout leisure, finance, electronics, and gaming. He emphasised that Soneium will finally combine with Sony Group companies to draw customers unfamiliar with Web3.
Layer-2 networks
Ethereum layer-2 networks are designed to reinforce mainnet scalability and pace and have seen sustained success lately.
Over the previous 12 months, the layer-2 panorama has turn out to be crowded with main crypto corporations, together with Coinbase, launching their networks and scoring large neighborhood adoption.
In consequence, layer-2 networks now deal with most of Ethereum’s exercise. Based on obtainable information, about 89% of blockchain transactions happen on these platforms.
Nevertheless, some critics argue that this enlargement might hurt Ethereum in the long term. These networks have already pushed the blockchain community’s charges to three-year lows and will additionally probably sign the tip of ETH’s “ultrasound cash” narrative.
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