Sonic

Introduction to Sonic

Sonic represents Fantom’s evolution into a next-generation blockchain, built from the ground up to achieve superior performance while maintaining EVM compatibility. Led by Andre Cronje and Sonic Labs (formerly Fantom Foundation), the network promises dramatically improved throughput and developer experience through smart contracts.

Rather than an incremental upgrade, Sonic is a fundamental reimagining of what Fantom could become. The network launches with a new token (S) while providing migration paths for FTM holders, effectively restarting with technical lessons learned from years of Fantom operation.

How Sonic Works

Fantom Virtual Machine (FVM)

New execution:

• Custom VM implementation
• EVM compatible
• Optimized performance
• Improved efficiency

Consensus

Enhanced mechanism:

• Based on Lachesis (DAG-based)
• Improved finality
• Higher throughput
• Maintained security

Architecture

Technical design:

• Flat storage
• Improved state management
• Optimized database
• Performance throughout stack

Technical Specifications

Metric	Value
Block Time	Sub-second
Finality	~1 second
TPS	10,000+
EVM Compatible	Yes
Consensus	Lachesis-derived

The S Token

Migration from FTM

Transition mechanics:

• FTM converts to S
• Defined conversion rate
• Gradual migration
• Economic continuity

Utility

S serves multiple purposes:

• Staking: Network security
• Gas Fees: Transaction costs
• Governance: Protocol decisions
• Ecosystem: Application payments

Tokenomics

New economics:

• Migration-based initial supply
• Staking rewards
• Fee mechanisms
• Economic design updates

Andre Cronje’s Return

DeFi Legend

Background:

• Created Yearn Finance (DeFi protocol)
• Built multiple protocols
• Left crypto, returned
• Now leading Sonic

Technical Vision

Development focus:

• Performance obsession
• Developer experience
• Practical innovation
• Sustainable economics

Sonic Labs

New organization:

• Renamed from Fantom Foundation
• Focused on Sonic
• Technical team
• Ecosystem development

Performance Claims

Speed Improvements

Throughput gains:

• Order of magnitude faster
• Sub-second finality
• High transaction capacity
• Real-world performance

Efficiency

Resource optimization:

• Lower hardware requirements
• Reduced storage growth
• Better state management
• Sustainable operations

Benchmarks

Performance metrics:

• TPS measurements
• Finality timing
• Comparison to competitors
• Real-world testing

Developer Experience

Fee Monetization

New model:

• Developers earn from gas fees
• Application revenue sharing
• Incentive alignment
• Sustainable building

Tooling

Developer support:

• EVM compatibility
• Familiar tools work
• Enhanced features
• Documentation

Migration Path

From Fantom:

• Application portability
• Minimal changes needed
• Ecosystem continuity
• Developer support

Ecosystem Migration

From Fantom

Transition approach:

• Existing apps migrate
• User migration incentives
• Liquidity bootstrapping
• Ecosystem rebuild

New Projects

Fresh development:

• New protocols launching
• Sonic-native applications
• Ecosystem grants
• Builder incentives

Competition and Positioning

vs. Other High-Performance L1s

Chain	TPS	Finality	EVM
Sonic	10K+	~1s	Yes
Solana	65K	Sub-second	No
Avalanche	4.5K	Sub-second	Yes
Base	1K+	~2s	Yes

Sonic Differentiation

Key advantages:

• EVM with high performance
• Developer fee sharing
• Andre Cronje credibility
• Technical foundations

Challenges and Risks

Migration Execution

Transition risks:

• User participation
• TVL migration
• Ecosystem rebuilding
• Competition during transition

Competition

Market dynamics:

• Many L1 alternatives
• L2 solutions growing
• Developer attention split
• Network effects elsewhere

Execution

Delivery requirements:

• Meet performance claims
• Stable launch
• Ecosystem development
• Sustained growth

Fantom to Sonic

Why New Network

Decision rationale:

• Clean slate opportunity
• Technical improvements
• Economic reset
• Fresh positioning

Continuity

What carries over:

• Technical knowledge
• Developer relationships
• Community base
• Market awareness

Differences

What changes:

• Token (FTM to S)
• Architecture improvements
• Economic model updates
• Branding refresh

Recent Developments

Launch Progress

Network status:

• Testnet operations
• Migration preparation
• Ecosystem building
• Launch timeline

Ecosystem Development

Growth initiatives:

• Partnership announcements
• Developer grants
• Application development
• Community building

Future Roadmap

Development priorities:

• Launch: Mainnet deployment
• Migration: FTM to S transition
• Ecosystem: Application growth
• Performance: Continued optimization
• Adoption: User acquisition

Conclusion

Sonic represents a bold bet: that starting fresh with accumulated knowledge can produce better results than incremental improvement. The technical foundations and Andre Cronje’s involvement provide credibility for ambitious performance claims.

The challenge is execution during a competitive period for L1 blockchains. Migration from Fantom must be smooth, performance must meet promises, and the ecosystem must rebuild rapidly. The fee monetization model for developers offers unique incentives that could attract builders.

For developers seeking high-performance EVM chains with revenue-sharing opportunities and for Fantom community members, Sonic offers an evolution worth watching—though success depends on delivering on technical promises and rebuilding ecosystem momentum.