Japanese tech giant Sony takes another major step in its blockchain strategy with a strategic $13 million investment in Startale Group, the architect behind Soneium, Sony’s Ethereum Layer 2. This operation, the first tranche of Startale’s Series A funding round, marks a turning point in traditional enterprises’ commitment to Web3 infrastructure.
A Massive Investment to Accelerate the Soneium Ecosystem
Sony Innovation Fund, the group’s venture capital arm created in 2016, announced this capital injection on January 28, 2026, bringing Startale’s total disclosed funding to $20 million. This round follows two previous funding rounds: $3.5 million granted by Sony in June 2023, then a $3.5 million extension led by Dahua Venture Capital Management and Samsung Next in 2024.
Sony’s approach radically differs from traditional venture capital funds. The group seeks to create direct synergies between its investments and operational divisions, a strategy similar to Alphabet Ventures or Microsoft M12. Jun Watanabe, President of Sony Network Communications, was appointed to Startale’s board, strengthening the integration between the two entities.
Startale Group: Architect of Sony’s Web3 Infrastructure
Based in Singapore and led by Sota Watanabe, Startale Group employs over 80 people from 20 countries. Watanabe, 32, was recognized by Forbes in its 30 Under 30 in Asia list for the technology category in 2022. Before Startale, he founded Astar Network, one of the most active parachains in the Polkadot ecosystem.
The company extends beyond blockchain development. It operates several specialized entities: Startale Labs for core development, Startale Cloud Services for infrastructure-as-a-service, and holds stakes in strategic joint ventures like Sony Block Solutions Labs.
A Joint Venture with Sony Majority Stake
Sony Block Solutions Labs, established in October 2023 and based in Singapore, is owned 90% by Sony Group Corporation and 10% by Startale Labs. This shareholding structure demonstrates Sony’s major financial commitment while preserving Startale’s technical expertise.
Soneium: A Layer 2 Optimized for Mainstream Adoption
Launched on mainnet on January 14, 2025, Soneium is built on Optimism’s OP Stack, the same technology powering Base (Coinbase), Worldchain, and Unichain. This architecture provides Soneium with native interoperability with Optimism’s Superchain, a network of over 33 blockchains sharing security and liquidity.
Impressive Performance Metrics
Since its launch, Soneium displays remarkable growth:
- Over 500 million transactions processed
- 5.4 million active wallets
- Over 250 decentralized applications (dApps)
- $27.33 million in Total Value Locked (TVL)
While the TVL remains modest compared to leaders like Base ($4.32 billion) or Arbitrum ($3.86 billion), Soneium’s positioning fundamentally differs. While these target crypto-native users and DeFi, Soneium aims for mainstream adoption through Sony’s consumer ecosystem.
ASTR: The Ecosystem’s Core Asset
Unlike most Layer 2s, Soneium uses ASTR, Astar Network’s token, as its primary asset. This strategic decision solves the « cold start » problem: ASTR is already listed on major exchanges (Binance, OKX, Upbit) with established liquidity.
In February 2025, ASTR represented 57% of Soneium’s total TVL. The Astar Foundation launched a campaign with 100 million ASTR tokens ($5-10 million USD) to reward active users in the ecosystem.
Sony’s Web3 Vision: Three Strategic Pillars
Sony has been developing progressive Web3 infrastructure since 2022, including S.BLOX (crypto exchange in Japan) and SNFT (NFT marketplace). Soneium constitutes the centerpiece of this strategy with three major axes:
1. Entertainment and Value Creation
Soneium aims to protect creative rights and establish new remuneration models. Artists, musicians, and game developers will be able to tokenize their works and interact directly with their communities. Sony has already announced NFT campaigns linked to Ghost in the Shell for February 2026.
2. Integration into the Global Sony Ecosystem
Sony envisions connecting Sony Bank, Sony Music, Sony Pictures, and potentially PlayStation to Soneium. This integration would enable unprecedented use cases: cross-platform in-game purchases, on-chain music royalty distribution, or digital identity management for PlayStation Plus subscribers.
3. Finance and Tokenized Assets (RWA)
In August 2025, Startale and SBI Holdings (a Japanese financial group managing over 11 trillion JPY in assets) announced a joint venture to launch a tokenized stock trading platform. This initiative aligns with institutional tokenization dynamics, a market projected to reach $9.43 trillion by 2030.
In December 2025, the two partners also launched a regulated yen stablecoin, positioned as infrastructure for AI agent transactions and tokenized asset distribution.
Startale USD: Soneium’s Stablecoin
Startale Group launched Startale USD (USDSC) in December 2025, an institutional stablecoin serving as the primary settlement currency for Soneium. According to Sota Watanabe: « As more users and creators engage with Soneium, a reliable and stable currency is essential for transferring funds and generating consistent returns. »
The Layer 2 Market Context
The Ethereum Layer 2 sector is experiencing explosive growth. In 2025, Layer 2s absorbed 95% of Ethereum transaction volume, with throughput increasing from 50 TPS in 2023 to over 325 TPS in 2025.
Current market leaders:
- Base: $4.32 billion TVL (25% market share) – Backed by Coinbase
- Arbitrum: $3.86 billion (22%) – Over 400 DeFi protocols
- Optimism Mainnet: $3 billion (17%)
- Soneium: $27.33 million (0.2%) – Backed by Sony
Optimism’s Superchain now represents 62% of all Layer 2 rollup transactions and holds 61.4% of the Layer 2 fee market. The 33 Superchain blockchains collectively generate 17.3 million daily transactions and secure over $6 billion USD.
Soneium’s Strengths and Challenges
Strategic Advantages
- Exceptional corporate backing: Sony has a market cap exceeding $100 billion and an ecosystem of hundreds of millions of users (PlayStation Network: 116 million monthly active users)
- Mainstream focus: Unlike DeFi-centric Layer 2s, Soneium targets consumer use cases where Sony excels
- Japanese institutional partnerships: Collaboration with LINE (140 million users in Japan) and SBI Holdings
- Favorable regulation: Japan has established clear regulatory frameworks for stablecoins and tokenized assets
Challenges to Overcome
- Embryonic TVL: With less than 0.2% of the Layer 2 market, liquidity limits attractiveness for DeFi developers
- Market fragmentation: Over 50 operational Layer 2s, but only 5-10 blockchains will capture 90% of activity by end of 2026
- Demand for results: The market now demands proof of real revenue, not just metrics inflated by incentives
- Sony dependence: Success relies on effective integration into Sony products (PlayStation, Sony Music, etc.)
2026-2027 Outlook
Several catalysts could accelerate Soneium adoption in 2026:
- Launch of Startale App in public beta (Q1 2026)
- PlayStation integration announcement
- Ghost in the Shell NFT campaign (February 2026)
- Launch of yen stablecoin with SBI
- Superchain upgrade improving interoperability
Sony’s investment in Startale illustrates the growing convergence between Web2 and Web3. If Sony succeeds in transforming its user base into real blockchain adoption, it could open a new chapter for the industry where traditional tech giants become the primary drivers of adoption.
The real test will begin in 2026: will Sony succeed in democratizing blockchain for the mainstream, or will Soneium join the list of underutilized corporate blockchains? One thing is certain: with $13 million invested and the Sony ecosystem behind it, Soneium has the resources to match its ambitions.
