In Brief:
- On Oct. 26, Soneium announced plans for $SONEIUM, an ecosystem-native token, together with a new Tokenized IP model aimed at entertainment properties.
- Moriusa, a character IP from Tokyo-based Super State Holdings, is the first IP Token. IP Vaults and Tokenized IP Bonds linked to K-pop concert royalties from DayOneDream are planned next.
- Nothing has been issued yet. Soneium will share details on $SONEIUM and its token generation event at a later date, and it also plans to change its base gas fee.
Soneium announced on Oct. 26 that it intends to issue $SONEIUM, a native token designed to link the creators, IP owners, builders, fans and investors across its network.
The news arrived with the launch of Tokenized IP, which puts intellectual property onchain so projects can raise funds and share in their revenue. The project gave no supply, allocation or launch date for the token. It said more on $SONEIUM and its TGE “will be announced at a later date.”
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.@SoneiumView on X ↗
Soneium’s disclaimer says the plans “may change.” It adds that no $SONEIUM token has been issued, and that any future issuance by the Soneium Foundation will be subject to applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
What $SONEIUM is meant to do
Soneium called $SONEIUM an economic layer linking the ecosystem together “rather than existing as an isolated financial asset.” That includes creators producing new IP, IP owners moving it onchain, builders making applications around it and the communities that take part.
A base gas fee adjustment is also in the works. Soneium said the change is meant to support network resilience and sustainable onchain activity as the ecosystem grows. It didn’t disclose the new fee or when it would take effect.
Moriusa leads the rollout
Tokenized IP has three formats. An IP Token can stand for an individual creator, a studio or a specific title, and it can be either a collectible or a fungible token. Collectibles work as proof of fandom across fan activities. The fungible versions are built to circulate as the main currency within an IP’s economy.
Moriusa is Soneium’s first IP Token. The character IP belongs to Super State Holdings, an entertainment group based in Tokyo. Soneium said fans and supporters can help carry the property into physical merchandise, animated short series and broader licensing.
IP Vaults are next in line, offering access to royalty-backed assets and entertainment investment opportunities. After them come Tokenized IP Bonds backed by entertainment businesses.
Users can find and join Tokenized IP offerings through Soneium Portal, the official platform for them. Startale App is the network’s gateway.
Concert royalties become bonds
K-pop is the starting point for the bond product. Soneium is partnering with DayOneDream, the manager of BTOB, LEE CHAE YEON, MEMI and 2F, to put concert business royalties onchain as Tokenized IP Bonds.
The two companies first announced the partnership on Sept. 29. DayOneDream operates WAVIST, its own platform for tokenizing K-pop IP and financing entertainment. In May, WAVIST completed a tokenized K-pop IP bond that ran through issuance, redemption and token burning.
Who can access future assets will depend on applicable rules and user eligibility. Neither partner has said whether any product will be offered to U.S. investors.
How the system works
Soneium’s Onchain IP Architecture is built in three layers. The IP Registry keeps a permanent, timestamped onchain record of each registered IP’s origin, metadata and ownership. The IP Graph tracks how originals, derivatives, collaborations, fan creations and AI-assisted content connect to one another. The IP Execution Layer uses smart contracts to pay out royalties, revenue splits and licensing fees according to rules set by the IP owner.
Soneium supports ERC-8432, an open Ethereum standard for onchain IP and licensing. The standard gives registries and licenses a shared, machine-readable interface, so creators and platforms can look up licensing terms and verify rights. Soneium said these tools work alongside existing copyright frameworks and don’t replace them.
Background
Soneium is an Ethereum layer 2 built on the OP Stack and co-developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs and Startale. The network says it hosts more than 250 applications covering music, games, anime, film, collectibles and fan creations.
Soneium switched to OP Enterprise on Sept. 30. That service handles the sequencer, node infrastructure, monitoring, software upgrades and incident response, with a 99.9% monthly uptime target and 24/7 on-call support. Soneium continues to build its own technology.
Yuji Kumagai, head of Soneium Protocol, put creators at the center of the new direction.
“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.