Introducing "Sonic," the Most Underrated Contender in the Blockchain Project Landscape

Among numerous blockchain projects, "Sonic" is the most underrated contender. While Sei, Berachain, and Monad are still in the testnet phase

Author: @arndxt_xo

Among the numerous blockchain projects, “Sonic” stands out as the most underrated contender. While chains like Sei, Berachain, and Monad are still in the testnet phase, Sonic has already launched, boasting over 80 years of operational funding reserves, rapidly accumulating TVL (Total Value Locked), and rewarding developers in ways never attempted by other chains.

Sonic, known for its “10,000+ TPS,” “sub-second finality,” and the unique “FeeM model” (returning 90% of gas fees to developers), has already created a DeFi flywheel effect. Additionally, Sonic has launched a “$190 million” airdrop plan, attracting a large number of DeFi developers and yield farmers.

This article will delve into Sonic's background, technical advantages, tokenomics, and how to achieve up to “145,000% APY (Annual Percentage Yield)” through participation in the ecosystem.

1. Background and Origin

By the end of 2024, Fantom officially rebranded to "@SonicLabs," returning to the Layer-1 (L1) battlefield, focusing on speed, ecosystem incentives, and cross-chain interoperability.

After Fantom's rebranding to Sonic in December 2024, the chain rapidly recovered from the bear market, quickly attracting a variety of DeFi protocols. Within just a few months, Sonic's TVL rapidly grew, with numerous new protocols choosing to launch on its chain.

After announcing the closure of its flagship fund in April 2025, a move that disappointed many Web3 users, the crypto startup Chainlink is now making a return with a new investment fund.

According to a statement released on Thursday, the blockchain middleware firm has partnered with BlockTower to create a $1.25 billion fund that will invest in early-stage blockchain startups. The fund, named BlockTower Coin Structure, is expected to have a ten-year lifespan and will primarily focus on startups developing new tokens and decentralized applications (dApps).

The initiative to create the fund arose from BlockTower's observations of the rapid advancements in blockchain technology. As startups in the space continue to innovate, they are encountering challenges in securing sufficient capital for development.

Despite the crypto winter and the subsequent bear market, blockchain startups have persevered and achieved significant progress, particularly in scaling their technology and expanding their user bases.

"We've seen firsthand the incredible innovation happening in Web3, with startups building groundbreaking protocols and applications that are pushing the boundaries of what's possible," said Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) partner and BlockTower co-founder Ivan Bogatyrev.

"However, many promising startups are struggling to get the capital they need to fully realize their vision," added Bogatyrev, who previously worked as a portfolio manager at Point72.

In addition to Bogatyrev, BlockTower's team includes former executives from Alameda Research, TRADEM8, and Flow Traders. The firm currently manages around $5 billion in assets across various funds.

The new fund is expected to play a crucial role in supporting the next generation of blockchain startups as they strive to revolutionize the financial and technological landscape.

2. DeFi Flywheel Effect

The core of the DeFi flywheel effect lies in the time mismatch between capital deployment and value realization:

In 2022, heavyweight figure Andre Cronje (founder of Yearn Finance) introduced the “ve(3,3) model” through the Solidly exchange on Fantom. This model combines Curve Finance's veToken mechanism and Olympus DAO's (3,3) game theory, aiming to reduce sell pressure and reward liquidity providers through long-term token locking.

However, the flywheel effect is not perpetual. When liquidity growth slows and early participants begin to exit, the flywheel effect weakens. Sonic's emergence is precisely to address this issue.

3. Sonic's Technical Advantages

1. Speed

Sonic adopts a parallel EVM execution strategy, processing multiple transactions simultaneously, achieving 10,000+ TPS even under high load. In contrast, Ethereum 1.0 can only handle around 15 TPS, and new L1s like Monad claim up to 10,000 TPS but are still in the testnet phase.

2. Interoperability

Sonic has integrated cross-chain bridges early on, enabling direct asset transfer between different chains. This contrasts with L1s like Arbitrum and Optimism, which require third-party cross-chain services.

3. Incentive Mechanism

Sonic's "FeeM model" allocates 90% of gas fees to developers, encouraging them to build projects and attract users. This contrasts with other chains where developers bear the gas fees, hindering small-scale project development.

4. Smart Contracts

Sonic's smart contract security is continuously audited by leading