Sony's Blockchain Plans New Token and AI Royalties. Will It Recover? - BeInCrypto
Sony-backed blockchain Soneium announced a new AI licensing system and plans for its own cryptocurrency on Monday, October 26, as its financial applications face a collapse in deposits.
Deposits in Soneium’s decentralized finance applications have fallen 95%, from $203 million in May 2025 to approximately $9.4 million, according to DefiLlama.
Four major applications — Kyo Finance, Sonex, Untitled Bank and Sake Finance — collectively held around $159 million at their peak but now hold roughly $1.5 million.
The network processed 163,691 transactions in 24 hours but generated just $118 in revenue, highlighting weak financial activity.
New AI licensing system
Soneium wants creators to register their work on the blockchain so AI programs can check licensing conditions and arrange payments automatically.
It plans to support ERC-8432, a proposed Ethereum standard designed for machine-readable licensing.
We will help them fund their next work at a new scale.
Token and investments
Fans could invest in the Moriusa character franchise through tokens, while a partnership with K-pop company DayOneDream aims to offer investments linked to concert royalties.
The planned $SONEIUM token also has no confirmed launch date.
Adoption and future
Sony Music is already fighting AI companies over unpaid content, filing a lawsuit against AI music generator Udio in July alleging infringement involving more than 30,000 recordings.
Universal Music and Warner Music have already reached licensing agreements with Udio without blockchain.
Soneium has yet to name an AI company committed to its proposed licensing system.
The question now is whether entertainment companies and AI developers will actually adopt the technology, generating enough business to reverse Soneium’s financial decline.
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