Deep Dive
1. Buy-and-Lock Mechanism (19 May 2025)
Overview: Sonic SVM shifted from burning transaction fees to purchasing $SONIC from open markets, locking tokens for 24 months to reduce supply.
The update allocates 50% of fees to buy $SONIC, creating sustained buy pressure. Another 12.5% of fees (in SOL) are staked on Solana mainnet, with rewards used to seed liquidity pools. This reduces reliance on external market makers and aligns incentives for long-term holders.
What this means: This is bullish for SONIC because it directly supports token value through reduced circulation and deeper liquidity. Users benefit from enhanced rewards for providing liquidity.
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2. Validator Program Launch (22 May 2025)
Overview: Introduced a dual-model validator system (self-staking and delegation) to decentralize network operations.
Validators earn fees from delegations and gas revenue, with commission rates capped at 20%. Partners like Restake and Stakin joined the initial cohort, aiming to secure high-throughput gaming/social apps.
What this means: This is neutral for SONIC as it strengthens network security but requires time to gauge validator performance. Node operators gain new revenue streams, potentially attracting more participants.
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3. Attention Capital Market (20 May 2025)
Overview: Launched infrastructure to quantify user engagement as on-chain assets via dynamic scoring and reward loops.
The system includes tools like Authority Score (measuring dApp influence) and Attention Flywheel (reinvesting rewards into user growth). Testnet went live in June 2025, with mainnet deployment in Q3 2025.
What this means: This is bullish for SONIC because it incentivizes developers to build engagement-driven apps, potentially increasing network utility. Users gain rewards for active participation.
(Source)
Conclusion
Sonic SVM’s 2025 upgrades focus on sustainable tokenomics, decentralized infrastructure, and monetizing user attention. While the buy-and-lock mechanism and Attention Capital Market aim to drive adoption, the validator program’s success hinges on node participation. How will these updates impact SONIC’s role in Solana’s Layer-2 ecosystem as competition intensifies?