What is Somnia (SOMI)?

Deep Dive

1. Purpose & Value Proposition

Somnia exists to enable applications that require real-time interaction at a massive scale, a use case where most blockchains struggle. Its primary value proposition is delivering the throughput, low latency, and low cost needed for fully on-chain gaming, social experiences, and virtual worlds, moving beyond the limitations of traditional DeFi-focused networks.

2. Technology & Architecture

The network achieves its performance through key innovations. Its MultiStream consensus allows each validator to publish an independent data stream, distributing bandwidth and avoiding bottlenecks common in single-chain designs. This is paired with IceDB, a custom database that enables deterministic, low-latency read/write operations as fast as 15–100 nanoseconds. Together, these technologies allow Somnia to process over 1 million TPS with sub-second finality, as demonstrated in its devnet and testnet phases (Somnia Docs).

3. Tokenomics & Governance

The SOMI token has a fixed total supply of 1 billion. Its primary utilities are paying for transaction gas, staking to secure the network as a validator, and future on-chain governance. A distinctive feature is its deflationary mechanic: 50% of all gas fees are permanently burned, which could reduce net supply over time based on network usage. Validators are incentivized through a fixed allocation of the supply (10%) rather than relying on constant inflation (Say Hi to $SOMI).

Conclusion

Fundamentally, Somnia is a scalability-focused Layer 1 that re-architects blockchain infrastructure from the ground up to support immersive, real-time applications, backed by a token model designed to align with long-term network usage. Will its high-performance architecture be the key to onboarding the next billion users to on-chain experiences?