🧩 Sony Enters Web3 Not With NFTs — But With Real Fan Utility

Sony Block Solutions Labs launched Soneium, a production-ready Layer-2 blockchain, to solve one of entertainment’s big problems: how to turn fans into active participants, not passive consumers.

Partnering with Japan’s Idol Runway Collection (IRC), Sony is introducing an engagement model where every fan action — from tweets to voting — becomes measurable, rewardable, and transparent on-chain.

In other words: it’s not about NFT drops. It’s about building fan-owned entertainment economies.

🌏 Asia Is Already Leading the Web3 Fan Revolution

Sony isn’t starting from zero — Asia has been experimenting with fan-powered internet culture for years.

🇰🇷 South Korea — tripleS: Fans Co-Create the Group

The K-pop project tripleS lets fans:

• vote on group composition,
• shape music releases,
• and co-govern key decisions via tokens.

They generated millions before debut. That’s the blueprint for participatory fandom — not “collect this JPG”.

🇨🇳 China — Tencent Music’s Superfan Economy

Tencent combines:

• subscriptions,
• tiered fan rewards,
• exclusive content,
• and physical merchandise.

It’s a hybrid ecosystem where fans feel ownership and artists get continuous revenue.

🚫 Where Things Went Wrong — Momentrica

Momentrica failed because its NFTs were static collectibles with zero participation mechanics.

Without voting, rewards, or contribution-based perks, the model collapsed — a warning sign Sony has taken seriously.

🎮 Soneium’s Real Innovation: On-Chain Fan Impact

Sony’s partnership with IRC is the first live test of a new concept:

“Reward fans for the value they create — not the money they spend.”

The system uses AI-powered IPFi to measure fans’ positive and consistent social media activity, converting it into an IRC Score sent directly to their on-chain wallets.

🏅 Membership Tiers Based on Real Participation

Scores automatically place fans into tiers:

• Regular
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold

Benefits include:

• early ticket access,
• priority event entry,
• premium backstage experiences at IRC 2026,
• and voting rights on event decisions.

For the first time, fandom becomes proof-of-participation, not proof-of-purchase.

🧱 Why Layer-2 Matters Here

Soneium uses a Layer-2 network to deliver:

• scalability for millions of fan actions,
• no gas fees for participation,
• programmable engagement mechanics for creators,
• real-time rewards without blockchain friction.

This is not “NFT art”. This is infrastructure for the future of entertainment.

🌍 The Bigger Picture: Can Asia’s Model Conquer the West?

Asia has cracked the formula for fan-driven entertainment:

• co-creation,
• voting,
• exclusive experiences,
• ownership-based rewards.

Sony is trying to export that model globally — powered by Web3 rails that make fan impact verifiable and portable.

ATH.LIVE analysts point out that the challenge will be cultural: Will Western audiences engage the way Asian fans do?

If the answer is yes, Soneium could become the backbone of entertainment’s next frontier: decentralized fandom.