Sony Group’s Ethereum Layer 2 network, Soneium, faced backlash from some users shortly after its mainnet launch, as certain meme coins were blacklisted in an effort to protect creators’ rights. However, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin saw value in Ethereum Layer 2 network amidst the controversy and expressed his views on how L2 can strike a balance between enterprises and users.
Soneium Takes Action Against Copyright Infringement
Sony’s subsidiary, Sony Network Communications, jointly established Sony Block Solutions Labs (Sony BSL) with the development company of the Japanese public chain, Astar Network, called Startale Labs, last year. They subsequently launched the second-layer blockchain, Soneium, utilizing Optimistic rollup technology. Earlier this week, Sony BSL announced the launch of Soneium mainnet, aimed at serving content creators, fans, and communities, with a focus on addressing current pain points in the content creation field.
According to DL News, some Soneium users complained on Discord that they were unable to trade two new meme coins, Aibo and Toro. These tokens are named after Sony’s Aibo robot dog and PlayStation’s Toro cat. Smart contracts related to these tokens were swiftly marked as “banned” according to information on the Blockscout blockchain explorer, cutting off the trading channels for these meme coin traders.
In a post on the X community platform, Soneium outlined its approach to balancing creativity and intellectual property protection, stating that the team has taken measures to “protect intellectual property to ensure a fair and inclusive ecosystem,” and that the temporary restrictions on certain RPC-level contracts were implemented to safeguard creators’ rights while encouraging responsible innovation.
Criticism from Alon, the Anonymous Founder of Solana-based Meme Coin Issuance Platform pump.fun:
Researcher Luca Donno from the analysis site L2 Beat demonstrated on X how Soneium users could circumvent the network’s restrictions. Users do not have to attempt transactions on Soneium; instead, they can utilize some technical knowledge to directly complete transactions on the Ethereum mainnet, albeit with a delay of 12 hours.
Vitalik’s Perspective on Soneium Controversy
Regarding the controversies surrounding Soneium, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin positively elaborated on the potential value of Ethereum Layer 2 for enterprises and users, stating:
Vitalik mentioned that enterprises can design a very closed system where operators can edit the state root, but users are clear about the system they are entering, with analysis sites like l2beat and numerous independent network researchers assisting them. Enterprises can also establish a completely open system.
Furthermore, Vitalik mentioned that L2 builders can design a system with a “speed bump” feature, allowing users to know they can send transactions on this type of L2 when needed, but will face a significant speed bump – the sequencer can limit transaction speed but will not review transactions. Vitalik pointed out that Sony’s Soneium is an example of such a system.
According to Vitalik, free market competition drives the development of the Ethereum ecosystem, but as an ecosystem, it needs to ensure two things: core financial activities occur in a fully open environment and provide sufficient tools to help users understand the characteristics of the chain environment they are participating in.
Sota Watanabe, Director of Sony Block Solutions Labs, stated in an interview with Decrypt that Soneium’s approach is not against meme coins but rather “supports responsibility.” He mentioned that the team will implement a grace period for potential blacklisting decisions in the future.
A spokesperson for Soneium stated, “We believe that meme coins are a powerful tool when developed in a responsible manner and align with ethical and legal frameworks. We are committed to fostering an innovative environment while ensuring creators’ rights are protected.”
Source: Decrypt