Sony Launches Soneium Minato Testnet and Web3 Developer Incubator

On August 28, according to Cointelegraph, Sony Block Solution Laboratory (SonyBSL) launched the Soneium Minato public test network and Soneium Spark incubator. Soneium, a Layer2 blockchain developed by Sony's subsidiary Startale Labs, made its debut a week ago. This is Sony's boldest move into the Web3 field to date.Soneium Spark will provide developers with a range of benefits, including up to $100,000 in investment and other financing opportunities through partners in the program. Sota Watanabe, director of Sony Block Solutions Labs, said in a statement that eligible developers will also receive "official support from Sony Group, Astar Network, and Startale."Astar Network is a "special partner" of this emerging blockchain, and will provide support to Soneium Spark participants along with USDCoin issuer Circle, Ethereum Layer2 solution developer Optimism, development platform Alchemy, decentralized indexing system TheGraph, and oracle network Chainlink. Soneium uses Optimism's OP Stack code library. Sony's subsidiaries, including its music, film, and education departments, innovation fund, and Inzone gaming headphone department, will also participate in Soneium Spark.