Sonic, previously known as Fantom, launched and rebranded

The recent launch of Sonic, previously known as Fantom, was one of the most discussed events of Q4 2024. The rebranding of Sonic sets the stage for new revenue models

The recent launch of Sonic, previously known as Fantom, was one of the most discussed events of Q4 2024. The rebranding of Sonic sets the stage for new revenue models and deeper participation in DeFi’s most powerful narratives. Backed by the experienced team and led by one of DeFi’s most prominent developers, Andre Cronje, Sonic arrives with strong technical and community foundations.

Sonic introduced a set of design and economic solutions aimed at long-term sustainability and growth. With an extensive ecosystem, no significant insider unlocks of the $S token, and a large pool of rewards, Sonic can compete not only with emerging blockchains like Berachain and HyperEVM, but also with established leaders such as Base, Solana, and Sui.

From Fantom to Sonic: A Strategic Evolution

Architecture and Speed

Sonic is an evolution of the Fantom blockchain. While both blockchains were designed with a focus on delivering high-performance, scalable solutions for DeFi, the new Sonic blockchain brings improved performance, cost efficiency, and fresh incentives to enhance the experience for users and developers alike.

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The biggest change lies in Sonic’s core architecture. While Fantom already used a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure in its Lachesis consensus system, Sonic enhanced this approach with a more optimized and tightly integrated DAG system. The DAG structure allows transactions to be processed asynchronously, which enables multiple transactions to be confirmed simultaneously, and the Lachesis consensus mechanism is an asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant (aBFT) protocol. This allows transactions to be processed asynchronously and in parallel, which enables higher throughput and near-instant finality.

While Fantom Opera could handle anywhere from 15 to 2,000 transactions per second (TPS), Sonic aims for much higher—up to 10,000 TPS. Transaction finality has also improved from 1–2 seconds to just 720 milliseconds in Sonic.

Sonic replaces the $FTM token with a new token called $S, which is exchanged at a 1:1 ratio. This move introduces deflationary mechanisms to gradually reduce the total token supply, which may benefit holders over time.

Moreover, Sonic has implemented a dual airdrop mechanism, which includes Sonic Points and Sonic Gems to incentivize participation in its ecosystem. Sonic Points are user-focused and are earned by holding or using whitelisted assets across DeFi apps, rewarding individual engagement with the network. In contrast, Sonic Gems targets developers, distributing airdrop points to apps based on their ability to drive user activity and innovation. These Gems will be redeemed for S tokens, which apps can then allocate to their users.

Complementing the airdrop, Sonic’s Fee Monetization (FeeM) program and Innovator Fund further empower its ecosystem. The FeeM program allows developers to earn up to 90% of the network fees generated by their apps, creating a sustainable revenue stream that reduces reliance on external funding and mirrors Web2 ad-revenue models. Meanwhile, the Innovator Fund offers up to 200 million S tokens from the Sonic Foundation treasury to accelerate app adoption and support groundbreaking projects. Together, these initiatives provide developers with financial incentives and resources, driving long-term ecosystem growth.

Sonic Gateway

Sonic Gateway is the native bridge that facilitates token transfers between Ethereum and the Sonic blockchain. The bridging process involves depositing assets, processing transactions in intervals called “heartbeats” for gas efficiency, and then claiming the assets on the destination chain. Regular transfers from Ethereum take about 15 minutes to confirm, but on Sonic Gateway, they’re nearly instant. Additionally, for users who require immediate transfers, the “Fast Lane” feature allows transactions to be processed with priority for a small fee.

This is a major upgrade over Fantom Opera’s reliance on third-party bridges like Wormhole or LayerZero, which have additional security risks and slower finality. In contrast, Sonic Gateway is fully native, trustless, and optimized for both speed and user control, eliminating the vulnerabilities of external intermediaries.

Explosive On-Chain Metrics Growth

Sonic officially launched on December 18, 2024, and gained strong traction shortly after. On March 30, 2025, which is about 103 days after Sonic’s launch, Sonic has demonstrated a significant increase compared to the last day of Fantom. While there were only 1.6 million addresses on Sonic so far, it quickly surpassed Fantom in TVL and stablecoin supply, which is an important indicator that shows an ability to make money on chain.

The number of weekly active addresses has hovered around 150,000 in recent weeks, but the key metric is retention. Nearly 25% of weekly users are returning, helping to sustain a stable core user base.

Sonic ranked among the top blockchains by net inflow in Q1 2025, attracting nearly $1.3 billion in assets,