TLDR
- After successfully piloting a testnet attracting a staggering 14 million users, Sony rolled out Soneium, its own Ethereum Layer 2 platform.
- The network took action against two meme coins, Aibo and Toro, which blatantly used Sony's intellectual property without authorization.
- Users quickly discovered a detour around these curbs by leveraging Ethereum’s main network, although this route comes with a 12-hour wait.
- Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin gave a nod to Sony's method, asserting that businesses have the liberty to decide how much control to exert while still leaving avenues open for users.
- The head of Sony Block Solutions Labs made it clear that their ethos is about responsibility, not a crusade against meme coins.
Sony's cutting-edge Ethereum scaling solution, Soneium caught the spotlight this week for limiting transactions involving illicit uses of its IP while keeping user independence intact. This move ignited debate on the fine line balancing corporate governance and blockchain's inherent freedom. Created by Sony Block Solutions Labs, the platform made its debut after a thorough four-month test run, which captivated over 14 million testers. Soneium enhances Ethereum transactions, making them swifter and more cost-effective.
Right after unveiling, users encountered snags while dealing with two meme coins, Aibo and Toro, which drew inspiration from Sony's robo-dog line and a beloved PlayStation character. Blockscout, a blockchain explorer, marked these coins' smart contracts as 'prohibited'.
Soneium's team took to social media to shed light on their move, saying the 'temporary restrictions' aimed to shield intellectual assets. This demonstrated how Layer 2 solutions can manage transaction verifications through centralized sequencers.
Contrary to these restrictions, crypto researcher Luca Donno pointed out that users could still execute these transactions directly on Ethereum's main network, albeit with a 12-hour lag. This loophole exists by virtue of Soneium's architecture, engineered with the OP Stack—the same technology propelling other Layer 2 platforms like Base and Ink.
In a conversation with Decrypt, Sota Watanabe from Sony Block Solutions Labs clarified that their approach leans towards responsibility rather than a blanket opposition to meme coins. There's a plan to introduce a grace period for future blacklisting, signaling a readiness to adjust their strategies.
The network’s design embodies what Vitalik Buterin termed as a significant slow-down mechanism, wherein the sequencer can decelerate transactions without cessation. Buterin applauded this framework, observing that firms can pick different control layers while functioning within Ethereum’s domain.
This scenario acts as a practical exhibit of how launching an Ethereum Layer 2 can favor both enterprises and individual users.
The @Soneium Businesses are afforded the capacity to fine-tune their control levels versus user autonomy.
But regardless of the framework they set, those are the standards to follow...
According to L2 Beat, Soneium is currently managed via a centralized sequencer, allowing the team to oversee transaction flow and blacklist certain projects through RPC nodes sustaining the network. https://t.co/jmaCRDsyF0
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 15, 2025
The team stressed that their actions don’t impose censorship on the blockchain itself, as blacklisting impacts only specific smart contracts on Soneium’s public RPCs, leaving users the means to access the chain by other methods.
When dealing with meme coins, which often exploit intellectual properties sans permission, Soneium's methodology offers a fresh avenue to tackle IP issues while upholding blockchain values. The team voiced their support for meme coins crafted 'responsibly and within ethical and legal confines.’
The platform aims to empower creators and audiences with features like NFT-centric fan engagement tools and the Soneium Spark incubator program. This echoes Sony’s expansive vision for integrating blockchain into the entertainment and creative industries.
On the technical front, Soneium processes transactions collectively, thereafter funneling them to Ethereum’s network, typical of Layer 2 solutions aspiring to boost speed and trim costs.
The escape route identified by users isn't by accident; it’s a feature embedded in the OP Stack's design. It showcases how key blockchain principles of openness remain firm even when layered with control.
Buterin remarked on the necessity of balancing fully open systems with controlled environments within Ethereum’s space, emphasizing the significance for users to grasp their platform's characteristics.
Recent updates from Soneium's team indicate ongoing efforts to refine contract restriction guidelines and bolster communication regarding network policies.
Editor-in-chief at Blockonomi and the visionary behind Kooc Media, a UK-based digital media company, an advocate for open-source software, blockchain tech, and an accessible and fair internet for everyone.
