What is Sonic SVM?

Source: x

Sonic SVM is the first atomic SVM (Solana Virtual Machine) Layer 2 network scaling project within the Solana ecosystem. It focuses on optimizing gaming and high-frequency interactive applications. It is designed to provide a high-speed, low-cost transaction environment, ideal for developing and operating gaming applications. Built on Solana’s first concurrent scaling framework, HyperGrid, developed by the Sonic team (formerly Mirror World), Sonic SVM aims to deliver high customizability and scalability while maintaining native composability with Solana.

The architecture of Sonic SVM enables developers to build applications directly on Sonic while leveraging the existing resources of the Solana ecosystem. There is no need to redeploy programs or accounts from Solana to execute transactions on Sonic. Additionally, applications supported by Sonic SVM can be developed for the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) but executed on Solana. This feature facilitates the migration of EVM-based applications into the Solana ecosystem.

Sonic SVM also provides tailored features and performance optimizations, including specialized data structures, caching mechanisms, and parallel processing solutions specifically designed for gaming applications. Furthermore, it supports custom governance frameworks and economic models, allowing for decision-making and resource allocation that are independent of the main chain. This architecture enables Sonic SVM to offer scalable solutions for high-frequency trading scenarios, such as gaming or NFT interactions. Doing so helps prevent delays and congestion that may arise on the Solana main chain during peak transaction volumes, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience.

Team Members

Sonic SVM is developed by Mirror World Labs, founded by Chris Zhu, a Shanghai-born Canadian of Chinese descent with a diverse professional background. Chris has previously worked at ByteDance, and he is recognized as a Web3 CEO with a profound understanding of TikTok’s dynamics. The team at Mirror World Labs has long been dedicated to game development within the Solana ecosystem and is fully committed to driving innovation in blockchain gaming through the Sonic SVM platform.

Funding Background

In June 2024, Sonic SVM completed a $12 million Series A funding round, with Bitkraft leading the investment. Other prominent investors included Galaxy Interactive, Big Brain Holdings, Matt Sorg (a key member of the Solana founding team), and Nom (Bonk). This funding round is intended to support product enhancements and the expansion of the Sonic SVM ecosystem. In early 2022, Sonic raised $4 million in a seed round, bringing the total amount of funding raised to $16 million. [2]

Sonic SVM Technical Architecture

Sonic SVM is built on HyperGrid, the first concurrent scaling framework of Solana, developed by the Sonic team (formerly Mirror World). The framework is designed to provide high customizability and scalability while maintaining native composability with Solana. At the same time, to foster the growth of the Sonic ecosystem, the team has independently developed the Rush ECS functionality framework, which will support developers by providing game engine SDKs and APIs.

Infrastructure: HyperGrid

Sonic SVM is built on the HyperGrid architecture, a framework for Solana Rollups. HyperGrid’s architecture follows a multi-grid approach, where each grid operates semi-autonomously while still being anchored to the Solana mainnet to achieve consensus and finality.

Source: docs.sonic.game

The HyperGrid ecosystem utilizes a staking protocol in which validators must stake $SOL as collateral to participate in the network. This staking mechanism goes beyond the passive locking of funds, representing an active commitment to ensuring the security and continuity of all grids within HyperGrid. Like the’s restaking concept of EigenLayer, the collective staking pool acts as the fundamental security layer for the entire HyperGrid system.

Within the HyperGrid ecosystem, validators also take on the responsibility of shared sequencers, meaning that Layer 2 platforms built on HyperGrid will prioritize these shared sequencers from the validator pool. As part of their compensation, validators will receive a share of the sequencing fees, contributing to their income stream.

Additionally, the system integrates observation nodes tasked with verifying the accuracy of transactions across various Layer 2 platforms. These nodes play a vital role in identifying any centralized malicious activities that may trigger slashing mechanisms. In return for their monitoring efforts, these observation nodes are rewarded with SONIC tokens.

Functional Architecture: Rush ECS

Rush ECS is a declarative, high-performance entity-component-system (ECS) framework built entirely with Rust by the Sonic SVM team. It is focused on achieving one goal: reducing the complexity of integrating blockchain technology into known developer tools, such as game engine SDKs and APIs, by using proven developer experience abstractions.

Source: docs.sonic.game

To provide a clearer understanding of how Rush functions, here is a typical user journey for game developers utilizing Rush:

• Build games using their favorite game engine
• Download the Rush CLI tool from the Sonic repository.
• Create a blueprint of the game world using the Rush TOML DSL and store it on-chain.
• Use the Rush CLI to parse the blueprint and generate the following content:

Smart contract code

SDK that can interact with the smart contract

• Use the SDK generated for their preferred game engine
• Deploy and manage on-chain programs using the Rush CLI.

Certain core components of Rush are stable and ready for use in development environments, while others remain under development or in the testing phase.

Source: docs.sonic.game

Note: Rush is currently under active development, and users may encounter bugs, crashes, significant updates, or partial functionality. For the latest updates, please refer to the Sonic SVM developer documentation.

Sonic SVM Ecosystem Development

Sonic SVM, a project designed specifically for Web3 gaming, works closely with game studios to provide technical support and collaborative marketing efforts. For example, their partnership with the renowned game studio 343 Industries successfully launched their first AAA title, which garnered over 100,000 downloads in its early stages. This collaboration aligns interests through various models, including revenue sharing and NFT co-launches. On launch day, the game’s in-game NFT sales exceeded $500,000. Furthermore, partnerships with social media platforms like TikTok have significantly boosted the ecosystem’s visibility. By leveraging creative challenges and influencer-driven promotions, Sonic SVM has achieved impressive user growth and retention, with over 5 million participants in the challenges and more than 2 million new users joining through influencer campaigns.

Developing TikTok Public Chain Sonic X

SonicX is an application built on Sonic SVM, a blockchain “tap-to-earn” gaming platform integrated with TikTok. Users can log in to the APP with their TikTok account to play games and earn rewards. This model encourages user engagement by offering tokens or other rewards for participating in games, increasing the platform’s attractiveness and user retention.

SonicX takes full advantage of Sonic SVM’s high performance and low transaction costs to deliver a seamless gaming experience. Looking ahead, SonicX plans to expand its game offerings, improve platform scalability, and explore new partnerships. Furthermore, SonicX is poised to continue leveraging TikTok’s social network effects to further grow its user base and expand its market influence.

Community Development Status

As of January 13, the Sonic SVM ecosystem boasts over 2.4 million active users, with 740,000 daily active users. The community has expanded to over 700,000 members, and there are currently 20 deployed games and NFT contracts. [3]

Regarding community development, Sonic SVM has implemented an active governance mechanism. $SONIC token holders are empowered to participate in project decision-making, which includes protocol upgrades, transaction fee adjustments, and the allocation of ecosystem funds. The community also holds regular AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions at least twice a month, fostering a strong connection between the team and users. These sessions serve as an opportunity to gather feedback and fine-tune the project’s development trajectory. More than 80% of the community’s suggestions have been thoroughly reviewed and incorporated into the project.

Sonic SVM Tokenomics

With the launch of the Sonic SVM mainnet, the Sonic Foundation unveiled $SONIC, a token designed to fuel the long-term growth and vision of Sonic SVM, as well as the broader multi-SVM ecosystem powered by Sonic HyperGrid.

Token Allocation

Sonic SVM’s native token is SONIC, with a total supply of 2.4 billion tokens. Of this supply, 57% is allocated to the community, broken down as follows:

• Community and ecosystem development: 30%
• Initial claim: 7%
• HyperGrid rewards: 20%

Source: blog.sonic.game

Token Use Cases

The $SONIC token serves multiple purposes within the Sonic ecosystem, including:

1. Utility Token on Sonic SVM: $SONIC functions as a utility token within the Sonic ecosystem, supporting over 10 major games currently live on the platform. With millions of users joining through the testnet, it also plays a key role in powering SonicX and the TikTok application player.

• Payment Currency: $SONIC will be used as a form of payment within platforms and applications built on the ecosystem. Users can exchange or acquire goods and services valued in USD by spending or holding the token.
• Staking Rewards: Users can stake $SONIC to contribute to network security and ecosystem development. In return, stakers will receive rewards, further incentivizing participation in the network.
• Governance Voting: $SONIC or $VeSONIC tokens enable users to participate in important community governance decisions, fostering engagement and collective decision-making.

1. Sonic HyperGrid: $SONIC serves as the driving currency for the multi-SVM ecosystem within Sonic HyperGrid. This includes its pivotal role in the launch of injected SVMs and its integration into future functionalities, where $SONIC tokens will continue to play an essential part.

• Validator Staking: In Sonic HyperGrid, validators are required to stake $SONIC. In return, they will be compensated for submitting transactions by issuing veSonic and collecting the residual fees generated by SOL.
• Delegating for Rewards: Users have the option to delegate $SONIC to validators, thereby increasing the staked amount and boosting the reward pool for the HyperGrid Shared Sequencer Network (HSSN). In return, delegators will receive rewards based on their contributions to the network’s security and performance. [4]

Price Details

As of January 14, the current price is approximately $0.70. After reaching a high of $1.17 on January 7, when Sonic was launched, the price dropped by over 35%. The total 24-hour trading volume is about $15.36 million.

Source: gate.io

Sonic is now available on Gate.io. Click here to start trading.

Advantages of Sonic SVM

With Solana’s actual TPS ranging from 2,500 to 4,000, a large volume of high-frequency interactive applications can lead to congestion on the main chain, potentially degrading the user experience. However, Sonic SVM addresses this challenge with an independent architecture, ensuring smooth interactions for these applications while preventing any disruption to other applications on the main chain.

• High-Frequency Trading Needs: In gaming scenarios, each click triggers an on-chain transaction. Failed or delayed transactions significantly degrade the user experience. Sonic SVM offers more efficient and stable on-chain support for these gaming scenarios.
• Custom Features: Sonic SVM incorporates custom-built data structures, advanced caching mechanisms, and parallel processing solutions, specifically designed to optimize gaming applications. These features work together to deliver a smoother, more seamless gameplay experience.
• Independent Governance and Economic Models: Sonic SVM’s scalability is further enhanced by its independent resource allocation and governance structures. These mechanisms empower game developers to tailor on-chain rules and economic models to suit their requirements.

Conclusion

Sonic SVM offers a high-performance infrastructure and a novel framework for game development, enabling developers to build high-performance applications, particularly Web3 games, that can rapidly settle on the Solana mainnet. The HyperGrid Interpreter facilitates a smooth transition for EVM developers and projects into the HyperGrid ecosystem. As Sonic SVM evolves, it is positioned to serve as the foundational infrastructure for the future of Web3 gaming, decentralized finance (DeFi), payment systems, and other decentralized applications. This will enable developers to unlock higher returns while significantly improving user experience and engagement.