Soneium, a blockchain project backed by Sony and developed with Startale, announced a new licensing system for AI. The platform aims to automate payments to creators by using blockchain to verify licensing conditions. It plans to support the ERC-8432 standard for machine-readable licensing.
The project also introduced plans for a native cryptocurrency, the SONEIUM token, though no launch date has been confirmed. Additionally, Soneium is pursuing entertainment investments, including a partnership with DayOneDream to offer investment opportunities linked to concert royalties and a tokenized franchise for the Moriusa character.
Financial data from DefiLlama indicates a significant decline in the network's performance. Total value locked in Soneium DeFi applications dropped 95% from $203 million in May 2025 to approximately $9.4 million. Four major applications, including Kyo Finance and Sonex, saw their combined holdings fall from $159 million to roughly $1.5 million.
Despite processing 163,691 transactions in a 24-hour period, the network generated only $118 in revenue. Meanwhile, Sony Music continues to pursue legal action against AI music generator Udio, alleging copyright infringement involving over 30,000 recordings, with potential statutory damages exceeding $4.5 billion.
