Sonic Labs has just launched the Sonic mainnet. This new platform is an EVM-compatible layer-one blockchain that aims to provide developers with great incentives and powerful infrastructure.

With an impressive capacity of 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) and sub-second finality, Sonic offers a decentralized gateway to Ethereum. This means developers can build the next generation of applications on a robust foundation.

The Sonic platform comes from the same team behind Fantom. They’ve introduced the S token, which represents a significant upgrade from both Fantom and its FTM token. If you hold FTM, you can easily transition to Sonic through a straightforward one-to-one upgrade process to the S token.

Sonic is positioning itself as a hub for decentralized finance (DeFi). It focuses on enhancing developer incentives while ensuring users enjoy smooth experiences and access to plenty of liquidity.

One standout feature is the Fee Monetization (FeeM) model. This model rewards developers with up to 90% of the network fees generated by their applications. It takes inspiration from ad revenue strategies used by popular platforms like YouTube. While many blockchains focus on extracting value, Sonic prioritizes developers and their needs.

Sam Harcourt, the business development lead at Sonic Labs, shared some insights. He said, “Recently, we’ve seen many new chains launch, especially centralized layer-twos where the founders pocket all network fees. This excludes developers, forcing them to impose extra fees on users to earn revenue. FeeM addresses this by coding developer rewards directly into the chain.”

Developers on the Sonic chain will benefit from a share of the network fees based on the traffic and engagement their applications attract. This creates a sustainable revenue stream for them.

The transition from Fantom to Sonic is straightforward. Sonic Labs has set up a dedicated upgrade portal on MySonic, allowing FTM holders to upgrade to S easily.

Michael Kong, CEO of Sonic Labs, expressed pride in launching the Sonic chain. He emphasized that it builds on Fantom’s impressive track record of nearly 100% uptime since 2019. He described Sonic as a revolutionary platform that empowers developers to create applications that deliver great user experiences while also earning from network fees.

For the first 90 days after the mainnet launch, holders can swap freely between FTM and S using the upgrade portal. After this period, upgrades will only be available from FTM to S.

As cross-chain activity increases, secure and trustless bridges are essential. Traditional bridging solutions often rely on centralized systems, which can be risky. The Sonic Gateway addresses these challenges by providing a decentralized and trustless bridge between Ethereum and Sonic.

Here’s how it works:

  • Security: A fail-safe mechanism ensures user funds can be recovered on Ethereum if the Gateway is down for 14 days, protecting assets.
  • Speed: Asset transfers are processed efficiently, with batches every 10 minutes from Ethereum to Sonic and hourly in the opposite direction. Users can also pay a small fee for instant bridging.
  • Decentralization: The Gateway is operated by Sonic’s validators on both chains, ensuring it remains decentralized.

Bernhard Scholz, chief research officer of Sonic Labs, stated, “To empower users with effective and trustless control of their assets, we developed the Sonic Gateway. It provides liquidity from other platforms and is secured by our own validators.”

Looking ahead, Sonic Labs plans to expand the Gateway beyond Ethereum, allowing direct, decentralized access to native assets across multiple blockchains.

To encourage network growth, Sonic Labs is distributing 190.5 million S tokens through an airdrop program aimed at both users and developers. This program includes:

  • Sonic Points: Rewards for end-users who adopt early, hold assets, and engage with the platform.
  • Sonic Gems: Rewards for developers who create applications that drive user activity. Developers can convert these gems to S tokens and share them with users to encourage ongoing engagement.

Sonic is an EVM layer-one platform that offers developers valuable incentives and strong infrastructure. With over 10,000 TPS, sub-second confirmation times, and a secure gateway to Ethereum, it enhances liquidity and protects assets.

For more information, visit Sonic’s official website and follow Sonic on social media.