Short Description: Sony doubles down on its blockchain bet with a $13 million follow-on investment into Soneium, signaling confidence after the network processed over 500 million transactions in its first year.
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Sony Invests $13 Million More in Soneium Blockchain After Strong First Year
In a significant vote of confidence for its own blockchain venture, Sony Group Corp. has deepened its financial commitment to the Soneium network. Through its Sony Innovation Fund, the tech and entertainment giant has made a $13 million follow-on investment in Startale Group, the primary developer behind the Ethereum layer-2 blockchain. This strategic move comes approximately one year after Soneium’s mainnet launch, allowing Sony to assess the network’s real-world performance before committing additional capital. Data reveals that Soneium has processed an impressive 524 million transactions since going live, surpassing the annual transaction counts of established networks like Avalanche and Algorand in the same period, according to Nansen analytics.
The investment decision was directly influenced by Soneium’s post-launch metrics, which include not only high transaction volume but also the growth of its user base to 5.4 million wallets. A Startale spokesperson confirmed that this ecosystem growth, combined with the ongoing joint development work through Sony Block Solutions Labs, underpinned the decision for the continued investment. Notably, the funding round represents the first close of Startale’s Series A, though the company’s valuation was not disclosed. The partnership structure remains unchanged, with Sony maintaining its existing operational and governance role.
This funding injection follows Soneium’s journey from an initial testnet experiment to live infrastructure supporting Sony’s broader Web3 strategy. The network, designed to attract developers in entertainment and gaming, has also seen the launch of the Startale USD (USDSC) stablecoin on its mainnet. Built on M0’s platform, this stablecoin is positioned as a native settlement layer for applications and payments within the ecosystem. Sony’s renewed financial backing suggests a long-term, measured approach to building its blockchain capabilities, focusing on utility and integration with its core entertainment businesses rather than speculative hype.
Short Summary: Sony’s $13M follow-on investment in the Soneium blockchain validates the network’s strong first-year performance, highlighted by 524M transactions. This strategic move reinforces Sony’s long-term commitment to integrating blockchain technology into its entertainment and gaming ecosystems, with the newly launched USDSC stablecoin poised to facilitate native payments and applications on the layer-2 network.
