Fantom Sonic Network: new $S token, parallel FVM and L2-style bridge
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Market since$FTM−94%since this pieceHow it played out ↓Walks through the Fantom Sonic announcement: a new L1 with token S, 1:1 FTM migration pending governance, a native L2-style bridge to Ethereum, parallelization of the FVM and a shared sequencer role. Notes zk-SNARK verification is still more expensive than execution for simple transactions.
Key claims
FTM holders can migrate 1:1 to S at genesis pending a governance vote
Sonic targets over 180M to 200M daily transactions with sub-second confirmation
Fixed 14-day unbonding unlocks over $1B in LSTs
Supersets arrive via soft fork toward end of 2024
The details around the @FantomFDN Sonic network are out.
New token $S incoming.
Fantom is transforming into a high-performance L1 with a parallel VM that will sequence an ecosystem of L1/L2 chains processing >200M daily transactions with sub-second finality.
TL;DR 🧵 t.co/EErUx9HEb9
1/ What does this mean for $FTM?
The launch of Sonic comes with its own proper blockchain network named Sonic Network, with a native token utilizing the ticker $S.
There will be a new token.
2/ Holders of $FTM will have the ability to migrate their tokens for a 1:1 ratio at genesis for the $S token, pending the results of a first governance vote.
3/ Utilizing a new secure bridge architecture, the Sonic chain will not only provide users and dApps with significantly improved performance but also security compared to the existing Opera network.
4/ Sonic will be a new layer-1 chain with a native L2 bridge connected to Ethereum.
The new bridge is envisioned to have the following unique characteristics ⤵️
5/ Withdraw funds from Ethereum to Sonic independently with "proof" for each asset, making it an "L2" bridge, where:
✦ Only the fund owner can withdraw.
✦ Transactions confirmed by Sonic chain validators.
6/ Aside the novel bridging architechture, @FantomFDN Sonic will provide a high-performance VM.
The team is currently even exploring ways to add parallelization to an upgraded Fantom Virtual Machine (FVM) for the next evolution of Sonic.
7/ Additionally, @AndreCronjeTech will continue his research in off-chain execution with on-chain verification. The initial proof of concepts have already shown some success with implementations using zk-SNARKs.
8/ However, for now verification cost is still more expensive than execution cost for simple transactions. This will be further expanded by including pre-compiles in the FVM.
9/ With Sonic’s tremendous technical capability, it leads era into a new era of innovation.
Sonic will be used to create a new best-in-class shared sequencer for L1 and L2 chains, capable of processing over 180 million daily transactions.
10/ With real, sub-second confirmation times, serving as the foundation to relaunch Fantom as an entirely new community-centric brand and powerful ecosystem.
11/ Why is a new chain necessary instead of a hard fork?
Launching Sonic chain can surpass current capacity of 200–300 million daily transactions on upgraded Opera, offering more flexibility for native bridge deployment.
12/ What can I expect from Opera in the meantime?
@FantomFDN have recently upgraded the Opera chain with the Sonic technology to demonstrate this technology is fully operational and not merely a testnet or demo.
You can continue to use Opera.
13/ Additionally, @FantomFDN will be launching exciting new audience engagement programs such as our recently announced Meme Season competition as we work toward the launch of the Sonic chain.
14/ So what changes for validators and users?
Fantom Operations Ltd has committed to providing continued validator support for the Opera network, while Sonic Operations Ltd will be supporting the Sonic Network.
15/ Hence, the only thing to do for now is:
Voice your feedback, raise your concerns, and provide ideas.
Now is the time to act and shape how Fantom evolves to Sonic.
16/ There will be a series of governance votes to secure strong community support for implementing the proposed changes and shaping the future direction, which may include airdrops, liquidity provisions, additional grants, and more.
17/ The Fantom Foundation has also allocated hundreds of millions of $FTM from its treasury to support ecosystem development for the Sonic network.
These funds will be used for marketing, business development, migration grants, and other adoption initiatives.
18/ Pretty wild?
Yes, but not everything.
The @fantomFDN team has some more interesting features coming. ⤵️
19/ @Fantom is looking to simplify staking with a fixed 14-day unbonding period, unlocking over $1 billion in liquid staking tokens (LSTs).
This will boost DeFi activity and total value locked (TVL), while maintaining network security by supporting several LSTs.
20/ Also, when Sonic goes live, supersets will not yet be enabled.
They are scheduled for a soft-fork upgrade toward the end of 2024.
This will further drastically increase FVM performance.
21/ Finally, for both the current Opera network and the new Sonic stack, a canonical stablecoin is an essential ingredient for the success of DeFi.
@FantomFDN is cooking.
22/ With the new shiny token and the definitely exciting tech stack, I think @Fantom could garner some significant attention and hype in the weeks and months to come.
The product-market fit of high-performance chains has been proven.
That's a wrap anon. I hope you've found this thread helpful! 🫡
Make sure to follow me @zerokn0wledge_ to stay ahead of the curve on scaling tech & @FantomFDN.
Like/Repost of the below post is also highly appreciated! 🙏👇
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How the covered assets moved · since 18 May 2024
Prices as of 23 Oct 2026This breakdown analyzes the project without making a call on the token, so price moves since publication are shown as market context.
Covered in this piece
Since then
Zero has written 13 more pieces on Fantom and Sonic Labs and $FTM and $S since this one.
- Sonic five months in: $1B TVL and highest net inflows YTDOn Sonic
- Sonic gas fee monetization: up to 90% of fees back to appsBullish call on $FTM
- FTM to $1 before Sonic mainnet: the bull caseBullish call on $S
- FTM above $0.7 ahead of Sonic mainnet and S token migrationBullish call on $S
Daily closes in USD from DefiLlama and Yahoo Finance. Only a bullish or bearish thesis is read as a call; explainers, maps and mentions are context. Not financial advice.