Sony Group, a global entertainment giant, is entering the Web3 market through the Ethereum Layer 2 network "Soneium." Leveraging its vast IP library and global user base, Sony aims to lead the mainstream adoption of Web3. Astar Network, as a core partner of Soneium, will support its ecosystem with years of mainnet operation experience. The ASTR token will become a core asset of Soneium, with both parties expecting strong synergies. Within two weeks of its launch, Soneium attracted over 170 projects, with cases like Yay! and the entertainment platform Yoake demonstrating the potential for seamless blockchain integration into daily life, providing a blueprint for large-scale Web3 adoption.

1. Sony Group Opens a New Chapter

Source: Tiger Research

In January 2025, Sony Group launched the Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain network Soneium through its subsidiary Sony Blockchain Solutions Laboratory (Sony BSL), officially entering the Web3 market. This move has garnered significant industry attention as it continues Sony's tradition of innovation in the fusion of technology and culture.

For large corporations, building a public blockchain is highly unusual due to the three major challenges of Web3: regulatory uncertainty, unproven business models, and high infrastructure costs. Global giants, in particular, need to weigh compliance risks carefully.

Sony's decision to embrace these challenges stems from its inherent "innovator's spirit." Having learned valuable lessons from the pain of transitioning from analog to digital, Sony has developed a strategic mindset of "actively creating new growth engines." This mindset is now being applied to the Web3 space.

Astar Network has become an ideal partner for Sony Group's Web3 strategy. Since 2019, Astar's technical capabilities and operational experience within the Polkadot ecosystem will accelerate the realization of Sony's Web3 vision. Notably, the ASTR token will become a core asset of Soneium, with both parties deeply integrating technology and ecosystems to jointly drive the mainstream adoption of Web3.

This report will analyze how Soneium and Astar Network are reshaping the Web3 industry landscape, exploring the synergistic potential between Sony Group and Astar Network and their driving force for Web3 popularization.

2. Soneium: On the Path to Mainstream Adoption

Source: Soneium

Soneium is an Ethereum Layer 2 mainnet built on the OP Stack, jointly developed by Sony Group and Startale through their joint venture Sony BSL. Startale contributed its blockchain experience from operating Astar Network since 2019, while Sony injected its global user and IP resources. This combination gives Soneium the potential to accelerate the mainstream adoption of Web3.

2.1 Soneium: A Core Strategic Pillar for Sony Group

Soneium is not just a blockchain project but an extension of Sony Group's digital strategy, potentially becoming a link that integrates its diverse businesses. Given Sony's leadership in the entertainment industry, this integration could have a profound impact on the popularization of Web3. Understanding Sony Group's strategic vision is key to assessing its potential.

Source: Sony Group

At its 2024 Corporate Strategy Meeting, Sony Group unveiled its "2025-2027 Strategic Plan," which envisions "transcending boundaries and maximizing group synergies." It emphasizes cross-departmental collaboration to accelerate digital innovation and explore new revenue sources.

The blockchain network of Soneium could become the digital ecosystem cornerstone for integrating Sony Group's assets. The following analysis explores the possibilities of business integration from both short-term and long-term perspectives.

2.1.1 Short-Term Perspective: Strengthening the Integration of Existing Web3 Businesses

Sony Group's initial integration of Soneium will be based on its existing Web3 businesses: the NFT platform SNFT launched in 2022, and the cryptocurrency exchange S.BLOX, rebranded after acquiring WhaleFin in 2023.

Source: Sony

S.BLOX may become a key entry point for the Soneium ecosystem, acting as a bridge between traditional and Web3 assets. By integrating exchange-wallet functions similar to Backpack, S.BLOX can offer a more secure asset management experience than existing Web3 wallets.

Source: Sony

Several subsidiaries of Sony Group are expanding Web3 projects through SNFT-Soneium:

Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan): Offering exclusive content access to users who purchase specific content on Amazon Prime Video;

Sony Music Entertainment France: Issuing limited-edition NFTs to commemorate the second anniversary of the music and Web3 community "Sunny B. 1991";

Sony Music Publishing (Japan): Launching an NFT campaign linked to a concert by the girl group "SANDAL TELEPHONE."

These projects aim to enhance fan engagement and digital content distribution through NFTs, exploring new ways to connect with audiences.

2.1.2 Long-Term Perspective: Deep Integration of Entertainment and Financial Industries

Although Sony Group has not yet disclosed specific plans for Soneium beyond the mentioned projects, its long-term potential is worth paying attention to.

The entertainment business accounts for 60% of Sony Group's revenue, and it controls the entire chain of content production and distribution. While this concentration brings risks, Web3 technology may open up new growth paths.

Early signs indicate innovative potential: Sony Interactive Entertainment's blockchain patents (especially in-game NFTs) suggest that the PlayStation ecosystem may integrate with Web3, such as NFT game assets and cryptocurrency payment functions.

Source: Sony Music

Sony Music and Sony Pictures can activate a vast array of IPs through Web3 technology. Sony Music has tested NFTs based on artist IPs and explored Web3 applications for music copyrights. With a combination of music, anime, and games, Sony may create new revenue sources through Web3.

Source: Sony Bank

Sony Financial Group, although spun off, still maintains close cooperation with Sony Group.

Sony Bank is a pioneer in blockchain applications in the banking industry: it launched a user-friendly NFT management application CONNECT in collaboration with SNFT; piloted a stablecoin project; and became the first bank in Japan to offer loan asset securitization tokens (STO).

Soneium may connect Sony's businesses through new types of digital services. For example, PlayStation users could pay with stablecoins developed by Sony Financial Group; fans could buy and sell tokenized entertainment IP assets. These applications integrate Web3 technology into daily services, supporting Sony Group's strategic goals.

2.2 Key Cases in the Soneium Ecosystem

Soneium is committed to building an inclusive Web3 ecosystem beyond Sony Group, focusing on user-friendly application scenarios. Users can access blockchain services through familiar applications without understanding the underlying technology. This strategy has proven effective—within two weeks of its launch, it attracted over 170 projects, with the highest proportion of consumer-grade applications. The following section analyzes representative applications within the Soneium ecosystem.

2.2.1 Yay!: Connecting Web2 Communities with SocialFi and Infusing Rewards into Daily Life

Source: Yay!

Yay! is a popular community platform in Japan with over 10 million users since its launch in 2020 and more than 100,000 active communities. The platform demonstrates how Web3 can enhance the value of social media without changing the user experience: members are rewarded for community contributions, with all blockchain interactions automatically completed by the platform's backend.

On Yay!, users earn EMPL tokens through community contributions, which can be used to purchase items within the platform, gift to others, or exchanged for YAY tokens to be cashed out. This mechanism allows users to enjoy the benefits of the token economy without dealing with complex crypto transactions.

Source: Yay!

Yay! serves both Web2 and Web3 users: traditional users earn points and spend them within the app; crypto users can tokenize their assets to participate in DeFi activities such as staking and liquidity provision.

Its appeal to Web3 users has already shown—staking activities linked to Ethereum and ASTR attracted $20 million in participation. By creating value for both types of users, Yay! has successfully bridged Web2 and Web3.

2.2.2 Yoake: Revolutionizing Fan Culture with Blockchain

Source: Yoake Space

Yoake is an entertainment fan blockchain platform jointly developed by the renowned Japanese producer Akimoto Yasushi and Startale. Akimoto, who pioneered the fan voting mechanism with the idol group AKB48, won an entertainment award in the Soneium Spark incubation program with this innovation.

Source: Dune, Tiger Research

Yoake uses blockchain to address common pain points in fan communities: vote manipulation and opaque royalty distribution. The platform records all votes on the Soneium chain, creating a verifiable and transparent system. Fans can vote using their social media accounts (without crypto wallets), with blockchain recording automatically completed by the platform. This system supports various activities, from selecting performance tracks for idol groups to fashion contest voting.

Yoake embodies Soneium's blockchain adoption logic: problem-solving takes precedence over technology display. As Watanabe Satoshi, director of Sony BSL, said, this is a "market pull" strategy—identifying needs first and solving them with technology, rather than building a solution and then looking for a use case

Sony Group, a global entertainment giant, is entering the Web3 market through the Ethereum Layer 2 network "Soneium." Leveraging its vast IP library and global user base, Sony aims to lead the mainstream adoption of Web3. Astar Network, as a core partner of Soneium, will support its ecosystem with years of mainnet operation experience. The ASTR token will become a core asset of Soneium, with both parties expecting strong synergies. Within two weeks of its launch, Soneium attracted over 170 projects, with cases like Yay! and the entertainment platform Yoake demonstrating the potential for seamless blockchain integration into daily life, providing a blueprint for large-scale Web3 adoption.

1. Sony Group Opens a New Chapter

Source: Tiger Research

In January 2025, Sony Group launched the Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain network Soneium through its subsidiary Sony Blockchain Solutions Laboratory (Sony BSL), officially entering the Web3 market. This move has garnered significant industry attention as it continues Sony's tradition of innovation in the fusion of technology and culture.

For large corporations, building a public blockchain is highly unusual due to the three major challenges of Web3: regulatory uncertainty, unproven business models, and high infrastructure costs. Global giants, in particular, need to weigh compliance risks carefully.

Sony's decision to embrace these challenges stems from its inherent "innovator's spirit." Having learned valuable lessons from the pain of transitioning from analog to digital, Sony has developed a strategic mindset of "actively creating new growth engines." This mindset is now being applied to the Web3 space.

Astar Network has become an ideal partner for Sony Group's Web3 strategy. Since 2019, Astar's technical capabilities and operational experience within the Polkadot ecosystem will accelerate the realization of Sony's Web3 vision. Notably, the ASTR token will become a core asset of Soneium, with both parties deeply integrating technology and ecosystems to jointly drive the mainstream adoption of Web3.

This report will analyze how Soneium and Astar Network are reshaping the Web3 industry landscape, exploring the synergistic potential between Sony Group and Astar Network and their driving force for Web3 popularization.

2. Soneium: On the Path to Mainstream Adoption

Source: Soneium

Soneium is an Ethereum Layer 2 mainnet built on the OP Stack, jointly developed by Sony Group and Startale through their joint venture Sony BSL. Startale contributed its blockchain experience from operating Astar Network since 2019, while Sony injected its global user and IP resources. This combination gives Soneium the potential to accelerate the mainstream adoption of Web3.

2.1 Soneium: A Core Strategic Pillar for Sony Group

Soneium is not just a blockchain project but an extension of Sony Group's digital strategy, potentially becoming a link that integrates its diverse businesses. Given Sony's leadership in the entertainment industry, this integration could have a profound impact on the popularization of Web3. Understanding Sony Group's strategic vision is key to assessing its potential.

Source: Sony Group

At its 2024 Corporate Strategy Meeting, Sony Group unveiled its "2025-2027 Strategic Plan," which envisions "transcending boundaries and maximizing group synergies." It emphasizes cross-departmental collaboration to accelerate digital innovation and explore new revenue sources.

The blockchain network of Soneium could become the digital ecosystem cornerstone for integrating Sony Group's assets. The following analysis explores the possibilities of business integration from both short-term and long-term perspectives.

2.1.1 Short-Term Perspective: Strengthening the Integration of Existing Web3 Businesses

Sony Group's initial integration of Soneium will be based on its existing Web3 businesses: the NFT platform SNFT launched in 2022, and the cryptocurrency exchange S.BLOX, rebranded after acquiring WhaleFin in 2023.

Source: Sony

S.BLOX may become a key entry point for the Soneium ecosystem, acting as a bridge between traditional and Web3 assets. By integrating exchange-wallet functions similar to Backpack, S.BLOX can offer a more secure asset management experience than existing Web3 wallets.

Source: Sony

Several subsidiaries of Sony Group are expanding Web3 projects through SNFT-Soneium:

Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan): Offering exclusive content access to users who purchase specific content on Amazon Prime Video;

Sony Music Entertainment France: Issuing limited-edition NFTs to commemorate the second anniversary of the music and Web3 community "Sunny B. 1991";

Sony Music Publishing (Japan): Launching an NFT campaign linked to a concert by the girl group "SANDAL TELEPHONE."

These projects aim to enhance fan engagement and digital content distribution through NFTs, exploring new ways to connect with audiences.

2.1.2 Long-Term Perspective: Deep Integration of Entertainment and Financial Industries

Although Sony Group has not yet disclosed specific plans for Soneium beyond the mentioned projects, its long-term potential is worth paying attention to.

The entertainment business accounts for 60% of Sony Group's revenue, and it controls the entire chain of content production and distribution. While this concentration brings risks, Web3 technology may open up new growth paths.

Early signs indicate innovative potential: Sony Interactive Entertainment's blockchain patents (especially in-game NFTs) suggest that the PlayStation ecosystem may integrate with Web3, such as NFT game assets and cryptocurrency payment functions.

Source: Sony Music

Sony Music and Sony Pictures can activate a vast array of IPs through Web3 technology. Sony Music has tested NFTs based on artist IPs and explored Web3 applications for music copyrights. With a combination of music, anime, and games, Sony may create new revenue sources through Web3.

Source: Sony Bank

Sony Financial Group, although spun off, still maintains close cooperation with Sony Group.

Sony Bank is a pioneer in blockchain applications in the banking industry: it launched a user-friendly NFT management application CONNECT in collaboration with SNFT; piloted a stablecoin project; and became the first bank in Japan to offer loan asset securitization tokens (STO).

Soneium may connect Sony's businesses through new types of digital services. For example, PlayStation users could pay with stablecoins developed by Sony Financial Group; fans could buy and sell tokenized entertainment IP assets. These applications integrate Web3 technology into daily services, supporting Sony Group's strategic goals.

2.2 Key Cases in the Soneium Ecosystem

Soneium is committed to building an inclusive Web3 ecosystem beyond Sony Group, focusing on user-friendly application scenarios. Users can access blockchain services through familiar applications without understanding the underlying technology. This strategy has proven effective—within two weeks of its launch, it attracted over 170 projects, with the highest proportion of consumer-grade applications. The following section analyzes representative applications within the Soneium ecosystem.

2.2.1 Yay!: Connecting Web2 Communities with SocialFi and Infusing Rewards into Daily Life

Source: Yay!

Yay! is a popular community platform in Japan with over 10 million users since its launch in 2020 and more than 100,000 active communities. The platform demonstrates how Web3 can enhance the value of social media without changing the user experience: members are rewarded for community contributions, with all blockchain interactions automatically completed by the platform's backend.

On Yay!, users earn EMPL tokens through community contributions, which can be used to purchase items within the platform, gift to others, or exchanged for YAY tokens to be cashed out. This mechanism allows users to enjoy the benefits of the token economy without dealing with complex crypto transactions.

Source: Yay!

Yay! serves both Web2 and Web3 users: traditional users earn points and spend them within the app; crypto users can tokenize their assets to participate in DeFi activities such as staking and liquidity provision.

Its appeal to Web3 users has already shown—staking activities linked to Ethereum and ASTR attracted $20 million in participation. By creating value for both types of users, Yay! has successfully bridged Web2 and Web3.

2.2.2 Yoake: Revolutionizing Fan Culture with Blockchain

Source: Yoake Space

Yoake is an entertainment fan blockchain platform jointly developed by the renowned Japanese producer Akimoto Yasushi and Startale. Akimoto, who pioneered the fan voting mechanism with the idol group AKB48, won an entertainment award in the Soneium Spark incubation program with this innovation.

Source: Dune, Tiger Research

Yoake uses blockchain to address common pain points in fan communities: vote manipulation and opaque royalty distribution. The platform records all votes on the Soneium chain, creating a verifiable and transparent system. Fans can vote using their social media accounts (without crypto wallets), with blockchain recording automatically completed by the platform. This system supports various activities, from selecting performance tracks for idol groups to fashion contest voting.

Yoake embodies Soneium's blockchain adoption logic: problem-solving takes precedence over technology display. As Watanabe Satoshi, director of Sony BSL, said, this is a "market pull" strategy—identifying needs first and solving them with technology, rather than building a solution and then looking for a use case