Sony-backed Soneium plans a native token for entertainment IP and royalties - The Cryptonomist

The $SONEIUM token will serve as the economic foundation for Soneium's entertainment ecosystem, enabling connections between creators, intellectual property owners, builders, fans, and investors. The announcement, made on October 26, 2026, outlines a comprehensive strategy centered on tokenized intellectual property with products spanning royalty-backed assets, entertainment investment, and automated revenue sharing.

Soneium Portal will function as the primary platform for IP discovery, issuance, and investment, with royalty payments automated through smart contracts. The network, developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, Sony's blockchain unit, already hosts over 250 applications across music, games, anime, film, collectibles, and fan creations, with approximately $9.38 million locked in these applications.

IP Investment Products

Two specialized products will expand the investment offering. IP Vault is designed to support royalty-backed assets, providing indirect access to opportunities such as music catalog funds. IP Bonds will be backed by entertainment businesses and intended to generate entertainment revenue streams.

Asian Pop Culture Focus

Initial projects concentrate on Asian pop culture through partnerships with Super State Holdings and DayOneDream's WAVIST platform. The collaboration with Super State Holdings begins with Moriusa character IP, allowing fans and supporters to fund its expansion into merchandise, animated shorts, and licensing opportunities.

The DayOneDream partnership targets concert-business royalties through WAVIST, featuring artists such as BTOB and Lee Chae-yeon. This initiative aims to enable fans and investors to participate in revenue from live entertainment events.

Blockchain Infrastructure

Soneium's mainnet launched on January 14, 2025, and currently uses ETH for transaction fees. The network operates on Optimism's OP Stack, an open-source toolkit for building Ethereum Layer 2 networks. Sony invested $13 million in Startale Labs in early 2025, which has served as the infrastructure partner for building the blockchain.

The USDSC stablecoin is already live on the mainnet and used for settlements. Soneium's strategy extends beyond funding to make ownership, licensing, and royalty arrangements programmable through its Onchain IP Architecture, which includes an IP Registry, IP Graph, and IP Execution Layer designed for creative works and AI-assisted creation.