In Brief:
- Soneium said Oct. 26 it plans to issue $SONEIUM, an ecosystem-native token, alongside a new Tokenized IP model for entertainment properties.
- The first IP Token is Moriusa, a character IP from Tokyo-based Super State Holdings. IP Vaults and Tokenized IP Bonds tied to K-pop concert royalties from DayOneDream are planned next.
- No token has been issued yet. Details on $SONEIUM and its token generation event will be announced at a later date, and Soneium is also planning a change to its base gas fee.
Soneium plans to issue $SONEIUM, a native token meant to tie together the creators, IP owners, builders, fans and investors on its network, the project said Oct. 26.
The announcement came with the launch of Tokenized IP, which brings intellectual property onchain as a way to fund projects and share in their revenue. Soneium didn’t give a supply, allocation or launch date for the token. Further details on $SONEIUM and its TGE “will be announced at a later date,” the project said.
1/ Soneium: The Onchain Entertainment Economy.
Today we introduce Tokenized IP and our plan to issue $SONEIUM, an ecosystem-native token that connects our global community.
Soneium’s own disclaimer says the plans “may change.” It also says no $SONEIUM token has been issued and any future issuance by the Soneium Foundation will be subject to applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
What the token is for
Soneium described $SONEIUM as an economic layer connecting the ecosystem “rather than existing as an isolated financial asset.” That covers creators making new IP, IP owners bringing it onchain, builders developing applications around it and communities taking part.
The network is also planning an adjustment to its base gas fee. Soneium said the change is intended to support network resilience and sustainable onchain activity as the ecosystem grows. It didn’t say what the new fee would be or when it would take effect.
Moriusa goes first
Tokenized IP comes in three formats. IP Tokens can represent an individual creator, a studio or a specific title, and may be collectibles or fungible tokens. Collectibles act as proof of fandom across fan activities. Fungible versions are designed to circulate as the main currency inside an IP’s economy.
Moriusa is the first IP Token on Soneium. It’s a character IP from Super State Holdings, the Tokyo entertainment group. Soneium said fans and supporters can help take the property into physical merchandise, animated short series and broader licensing.
Next come IP Vaults, which give access to royalty-backed assets and entertainment investment opportunities. Tokenized IP Bonds, backed by entertainment businesses, follow those.
Soneium Portal is the official platform for discovering and joining Tokenized IP offerings. Startale App is the gateway to the network.
K-pop royalties as bonds
The bond product will start with K-pop. Soneium is working with DayOneDream, which manages BTOB, LEE CHAE YEON, MEMI and 2F, to bring concert business royalties onchain as Tokenized IP Bonds.
The two companies first announced the partnership Sept. 29. DayOneDream runs WAVIST, its own platform for tokenizing K-pop IP and entertainment financing. In May, WAVIST completed a tokenized K-pop IP bond that went through issuance, redemption and token burning.
Access to future assets will depend on applicable rules and user eligibility. The partners haven’t said whether any product will be offered to U.S. investors.
Under the hood
Soneium’s Onchain IP Architecture has three layers. The IP Registry gives each registered IP a permanent, timestamped onchain record of origin, metadata and ownership. The IP Graph maps how originals, derivatives, collaborations, fan creations and AI-assisted content relate to each other. And the IP Execution Layer pays out royalties, revenue splits and licensing fees through smart contracts, following rules the IP owner sets.
The network supports ERC-8432, an open Ethereum standard for onchain IP and licensing. It gives registries and licenses a common, machine-readable interface so creators and platforms can query licensing terms and verify rights. Soneium said these tools complement existing copyright frameworks and don’t replace them.
Background
Sony Block Solutions Labs and Startale co-developed Soneium, an Ethereum layer 2 built on the OP Stack. The network says it hosts more than 250 applications across music, games, anime, film, collectibles and fan creations.
On Sept. 30, Soneium moved onto OP Enterprise. The service covers the sequencer, node infrastructure, monitoring, software upgrades and incident response, with a 99.9% monthly uptime target and 24/7 on-call support. Soneium keeps building its own technology.
Yuji Kumagai, head of Soneium Protocol, framed the new direction around creators.
“Entertainment starts with creators. Today, Soneium enters a new stage built to stand behind them. We will help them fund their next work at a new scale, try new forms of expression and find fresh ways to connect with fans. We want to open these possibilities together with creators, and I hope that from there, we will see entertainment that can change people and society,” Kumagai said.
