What is Soneium? A Guide to EVM L2 by Sony

Vladimir -

Sony is the latest tech giant to enter the blockchain space with Soneium, its Layer 2 (L2) network built on Ethereum. Soneium aims to bridge the gap between traditional digital experiences and decentralized ecosystems. In this guide, we explore the fundamentals of Soneium, its features, and its ecosystem and show you how to get started with Zerion Wallet.

What is Soneium?

Soneium is an Ethereum Layer 2 network, built by Sony Block Solutions Labs. 

Sony Block Solutions Labs is a Sony Group company established to build a new network infrastructure using blockchain technology. Built with interoperability and usability in mind, Soneium is positioned as a blockchain solution catering to developers, gamers, and content creators.

Sony’s entry into blockchain technology signals a major step in integrating decentralized infrastructure into mainstream digital experiences. By leveraging Ethereum’s security while offering enhanced performance through an L2 framework, Soneium can power next-generation applications in gaming, digital content, and finance.

Soneium Technical Foundations

Layer 2 on Ethereum

Soneium is built as a Layer 2 network on Ethereum. This means it operates on top of Ethereum while offloading transactions to improve scalability. It ensures reduced congestion and faster transactions without compromising security.

Optimistic Rollup Technology and the OP Stack

Soneium is an Optimistic Rollup that uses the OP Stack, which was developed by Optimism. 

By adopting the OP Stack, Soneium ensures compatibility with Ethereum’s extensive ecosystem while benefiting from Optimism’s continuous upgrades and improvements.

Key Features of Soneium

Scalability and Performance

Soneium significantly enhances Ethereum’s transaction speed by processing thousands of transactions per second (TPS) while reducing gas fees. 

By using the rollup technology, Soneium offers near-instant transactions with minimal costs, making it an ideal environment for high-volume applications like gaming.

Developer-Friendly Environment

Sony has designed Soneium to be a welcoming platform for developers by providing:

  • Comprehensive SDKs and APIs for seamless integration
  • EVM compatibility, which lets developers deploy existing Ethereum dApps with minimal modifications
  • Support for the most popular dev infrastructure, including indexers, oracles, and other tools. 

Zerion API also fully supports Soneium, making it really easy for developers to fetch portfolio data, including transactions, tokens, NFTs, and more. 

Interoperability

As part of Optimism’s Superchain, Soneium is fully interoperable with Ethereum and the OP ecosystem:

  • Existing Ethereum dApps can run on Soneium with reduced costs and higher efficiency.
  • Users can seamlessly move assets between Ethereum, Soneium, and other Optimism L2s using superchain bridges
  • Developers can build cross-chain applications leveraging both Ethereum and Sony’s ecosystem.

Use Cases and Applications

As a general-purpose L2, Soneium can support a wide range of use cases. 

Gaming

Sony’s gaming expertise makes Soneium a natural fit for blockchain-powered gaming. With reduced transaction costs and instant settlements, in-game assets, NFTs, and decentralized economies can thrive on the platform.

Digital Content and NFTs

Soneium offers a secure, scalable solution for content creators looking to tokenize their work. Musicians, artists, and filmmakers can leverage NFTs and smart contracts for fairer revenue distribution and ownership verification.

Finance and DeFi

Soneium’s low-cost, high-speed transactions make it an ideal environment for DeFi applications. Users can access lending, staking, and trading platforms without the burden of high Ethereum gas fees.

Getting Started with Soneium

The Soneium mainnet launched in January 2025. To start using it, you need a wallet like Zerion, which offers full support. 

Soneium in Zerion, the browser extension and web app

1. Install Zerion Wallet

2. Bridge Assets: use a superchain bridge to transfer some ETH to Soneium.

3. Try dApps on Soneium

After bridging assets, you can explore the Soneium ecosystem by interacting with decentralized applications. Some notable dApps to try include:

Conclusion

Soneium represents Sony’s ambitious step into blockchain technology, providing a scalable, developer-friendly L2. By leveraging the OP Stack and strategic partnerships, Soneium is well-positioned to drive innovation in gaming, digital content, and DeFi.

Get started on Soneium with Zerion Wallet and Zerion API.