A fast, Ethereum-compatible Layer-1 blockchain built for cheap, near-instant DeFi. It is the 2025 rebrand of the old Fantom network, so it is not a brand-new chain but a grown-up version of one.

How is Sonic related to Fantom?

Sonic is Fantom reborn, not a copy of it. The Fantom Foundation became Sonic Labs in 2024, and in January 2025 the old FTM token was swapped for the new S token at a 1:1 rate. Same lineage, faster engine.

What is Fee Monetization (FeeM)?

Sonic's signature feature. On most chains, the gas fees users pay go to validators or get burned. Sonic instead hands up to 90% of those fees back to the app that earned them, so building popular apps becomes a real income stream.

Does Sonic have a supply cap like Bitcoin?

No. Bitcoin freezes at 21 million coins, but Sonic launched with about 3.175 billion S and keeps minting new tokens in phases to fund the ecosystem and reward validators. Some fees and unused funds are burned, but the supply is uncapped, not fixed.

Where can I buy Sonic (S)?

S trades on most major crypto exchanges, and anyone still holding old FTM could swap it for S at a 1:1 rate during the 2025 migration. It is a young, volatile token, so only try a small amount for fun. (Information only, not advice to use any particular exchange or to invest.)

No.194

📒 Codex · Fast EVM Layer-1

Sonic S

Fantom's speed reborn

🎭 a phoenix that rose from Fantom's ashes, blurring across the chain in under a second

⚡ L1📜 Smart Contract🌱 PoS🌉 Bridge

ALTROOKIE CODEX

💬 “I used to be called Fantom. In January 2025 I shed that name, kept my soul, and came back faster, blocks confirm in under a second now. And when you build on me, I hand most of the fee back to you.”

💬 TL;DR

What: a fast, Ethereum-compatible Layer-1 blockchain for cheap, near-instant DeFi.
Where it came from: it is Fantom (FTM) reborn, not a fresh chain. FTM became S 1:1 in January 2025.
Its trick: Fee Monetization (FeeM) gives builders up to 90% of the gas fees their apps earn.
Supply note: no fixed cap. It started near 3.175 billion S and keeps minting in phases, with some burns.

📖 The Story

December 2023. The team behind Fantom, one of the older fast smart-contract chains, set up a new lab. The goal was not a fresh meme but a rebuilt engine under a new name. Andre Cronje, the architect tied to Fantom and a string of well-known DeFi tools, sat close to the design table.

August 2024. The plan went public: the Fantom Foundation would become Sonic Labs, led by longtime Fantom CEO Michael Kong. This was a rebuild, not a paint job: the new chain kept Fantom's family line but ran on a tuned-up version of its consensus.

January 2025. Sonic's mainnet went live and the S token launched. Holders swapped their old FTM for S at a clean 1:1 rate, and a six-month migration window opened, finishing around May 2025. The same community, the same lineage, a new body.

What makes Sonic worth a codex entry is not just speed. It built in Fee Monetization: instead of all fees going to validators, an app can claim up to 90% of the fees it generates. A chain that pays its own builders is the bet Sonic is making.

📊 Stats

⚡Speed Sub-second finality (~0.7s)

💸Builder rewards Up to 90% of fees back (FeeM)

🔁EVM fit Ethereum-compatible chain

🌱Track record Young chain, live since 2025

💎Scarcity No cap, mints in phases

🧩 How it works

Sonic settles transactions with Lachesis, a leaderless engine it inherited from Fantom and then upgraded. Because no single leader has to take a turn, many validators can agree at once, which is how it reaches sub-second finality (around 0.7 seconds). It is a proof-of-stake chain, so validators stake S to help secure it.

The headline feature is Fee Monetization (FeeM). On most chains the gas fees you pay flow to validators or get burned. Sonic instead routes up to 90% of the fees an app generates back to that app's developers.

👛 One gas fee enters, ⚡ FeeM forks it: 🛠️ up to 90% flows back to the app's builder, and 🛡️ only the small rest goes to validators or burn.

🌗 Light & Shadow

🌕 Light

Genuinely fast and cheap: blocks confirm in under a second, which suits trading and other busy DeFi apps
FeeM is a real draw for developers, paying builders out of the fees their apps earn is unusual and concrete (up to 90%)
Ethereum-compatible, so apps and tools built for Ethereum can move over without a rewrite

🌑 Shadow

It is a young chain. The S token only launched in 2025, so its track record is short and unproven
No supply cap. It started near 3.175 billion S and keeps minting in phases, including a 2025 governance vote to add more (scarcity is low compared with capped coins)
The fast Layer-1 field is crowded. Sonic competes with many other chains for the same builders and users, and rebranding from Fantom does not guarantee they follow

🧬 Evolution lineage

Sonic is not a fork, it is Fantom grown up. The old FTM token became S at a 1:1 swap in January 2025, and the chain still runs on Fantom's Lachesis consensus, now tuned for sub-second finality.

👻 Fantom (FTM) 💨 Sonic (S)

🧭 Meet other friends

Ξ Ethereum ◎ Solana 🔺 Avalanche

See the whole codex →

❓ FAQ

What is Sonic?: A fast, Ethereum-compatible Layer-1 blockchain built for cheap, near-instant DeFi. It is the 2025 rebrand of the old Fantom network, so it is not a brand-new chain but a grown-up version of one.
How is Sonic related to Fantom?: Sonic is Fantom reborn, not a copy of it. The Fantom Foundation became Sonic Labs in 2024, and in January 2025 the old FTM token was swapped for the new S token at a 1:1 rate. Same lineage, faster engine.
What is Fee Monetization (FeeM)?: Sonic's signature feature. On most chains, the gas fees users pay go to validators or get burned. Sonic instead hands up to 90% of those fees back to the app that earned them, so building popular apps becomes a real income stream.
Does Sonic have a supply cap like Bitcoin?: No. Bitcoin freezes at 21 million coins, but Sonic launched with about 3.175 billion S and keeps minting new tokens in phases to fund the ecosystem and reward validators. Some fees and unused funds are burned, but the supply is uncapped, not fixed.
Where can I buy Sonic (S)?: S trades on most major crypto exchanges, and anyone still holding old FTM could swap it for S at a 1:1 rate during the 2025 migration. It is a young, volatile token, so only try a small amount for fun. (Information only, not advice to use any particular exchange or to invest.)

⚠️ Not investment advice. All figures are for information only