Sony-Backed Soneium Plans Token and AI Royalties Amid 95% DeFi Deposit Drop

What happened

Sony-backed Soneium announced an AI licensing system, entertainment investments and a planned cryptocurrency. Its DeFi deposits fell 95%, from $203 million in May 2025 to about $9.4 million, while the network processed 163,691 transactions in 24 hours but earned $118 in revenue.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

A 95% drop in deposits means far less money is parked on the network, which cuts the fees it can earn and weakens its pull for creators and partners. Soneium is betting new licensing and royalty products can revive interest before any token launch.

Analyst inference

Soneium faces a trust gap: users pulled deposits even as activity continued, and no AI company has committed to its licensing system. Sony Music's lawsuit against Udio over alleged infringement, with damages possibly above $4.5 billion, shows the legal risk around AI music rights.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Soneium plans creator licensing built on ERC-8432, Moriusa franchise tokens and concert-royalty investments with DayOneDream. No AI company has committed to the system, and $SONEIUM has no confirmed launch date. Confirmed
2. Watch whether Soneium sets a launch date for $SONEIUM and whether any AI company signs on to its licensing system, since both are needed to turn the announced plans into actual revenue. Proposed
3. Track whether DeFi deposits recover from about $9.4 million, because more deposits would lift network fees above the $118 earned in 24 hours and support the planned token. Analyst inference

Evidence

• binance.com