What is Sonic Chain? Fantom's Successor Powering High-Speed DeFi
Sonic is the rebranded and significantly upgraded successor to Fantom — an EVM-compatible high-performance blockchain with 10,000 TPS capacity, sub-second finality, and a redesigned fee monetisation model that shares revenue with developers. Here's everything you need to know about Sonic in 2026.
Quick answer
Sonic Chain (formerly Fantom, rebranded and relaunched in late 2024) is an EVM-compatible L1 blockchain focused on high-speed, low-cost DeFi. Sonic achieves 10,000 TPS with sub-second finality via the Sonic consensus mechanism, a redesigned version of Fantom's DAG-based Lachesis protocol. The S token (formerly FTM) is the native gas and staking token. Sonic's 'Fee Monetisation' program shares 90% of gas fees with qualifying dApp developers — a novel mechanism to attract and retain builders.
Sonic represents the culmination of Fantom Foundation's years of research into high-performance blockchain design. The rebrand from Fantom to Sonic in late 2024 was accompanied by a major technical upgrade — the Sonic consensus mechanism, a database redesign that reduced storage requirements by 90%, and a novel developer incentive program.
Fantom was historically known for its technical performance but struggled with developer retention and ecosystem fragmentation. Sonic's launch attempted to address these issues directly with the Fee Monetisation program and a focused rebranding effort.
Sonic's key technical features
- Sonic consensus: Custom DAG-based consensus (successor to Lachesis) achieving 10,000 TPS and under 1 second to finality
- Database redesign: 90% reduction in storage requirements vs Fantom, enabling faster node sync and lower infrastructure costs for validators
- EVM compatibility: Full EVM equivalence — any Ethereum smart contract or DeFi protocol can be deployed on Sonic without modification
- Sonic Gateway: A bridge to Ethereum mainnet with fraud-proof based security for cross-chain asset transfers
Fee Monetisation — A new builder incentive model
Sonic's most distinctive innovation is its Fee Monetisation (FeeM) program. Qualifying dApps (those that meet activity thresholds) receive up to 90% of the gas fees generated by user transactions on their smart contracts — paid directly to the developer's address.
This inverts the typical blockchain model where gas fees flow to validators and protocol treasuries. On Sonic, active dApps can generate substantial revenue from user activity, creating a direct financial incentive to build and maintain quality applications on the chain.
Sonic's DeFi ecosystem
- SpookySwap: The legacy Fantom DEX that migrated to Sonic, offering AMM trading and liquidity provision
- Equalizer: A Velodrome-inspired ve(3,3) DEX on Sonic providing liquidity incentives
- Silo Finance: Lending protocol with isolated markets for safer borrowing against long-tail assets
- Beets: A Balancer fork offering weighted multi-asset pools
- Shadow DEX: Newer concentrated liquidity exchange with active volume
S token (formerly FTM)
FTM holders migrated their tokens to S (the new Sonic native token) at a 1:1 ratio during the transition period. S serves as the gas token and staking token for Sonic's validator set. The token distribution and staking economics were updated with the Sonic launch to better align with the new chain's parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sonic Chain?
Sonic is the rebranded and significantly upgraded successor to Fantom — an EVM-compatible high-performance blockchain with 10,000 TPS capacity, sub-second finality, and a redesigned fee monetisation model that shares revenue with developers. Here's everything you need to know about Sonic in 2026.
How does Sonic Chain work?
Sonic Chain uses a consensus mechanism to validate and finalise transactions. Validators or node operators confirm blocks, and the network's state is updated accordingly. Users interact with Sonic Chain via wallets that support the network's RPC endpoint.
What DeFi protocols are built on Sonic Chain?
Sonic Chain hosts a growing ecosystem of DeFi applications including decentralised exchanges (DEXs), lending protocols, yield aggregators, liquid staking solutions, and stablecoins. The total value locked across these protocols can be tracked on DeFiLlama's Sonic Chain chain page.
How do I bridge assets to Sonic Chain?
Assets can be bridged to Sonic Chain via official cross-chain bridges or third-party aggregators such as Stargate, Across Protocol, or Li.Fi. Always use official or audited bridges, verify contract addresses independently, and start with a small test transfer before moving larger amounts.
What is the native token of Sonic Chain?
Sonic Chain has a native token used to pay transaction gas fees and, in many cases, participate in network governance or staking. Check the official Sonic Chain documentation for the current token ticker, total supply, and staking yield.
What are transaction fees like on Sonic Chain?
Transaction costs on Sonic Chain depend on network congestion and the complexity of the operation. Layer-2 networks typically offer significantly lower fees than Ethereum mainnet. Current gas prices can be checked via the network's block explorer or a gas tracker tool.
Is Sonic Chain compatible with Ethereum?
Sonic Chain has its own architecture and may offer Ethereum compatibility via an EVM-compatible execution environment. Check the official documentation for details on cross-chain interoperability and supported standards.
How fast is Sonic Chain?
Sonic Chain is designed to process transactions quickly, with block times and throughput significantly higher than Ethereum mainnet for Layer-2 solutions. Performance specifications including transactions per second (TPS) and average finality time are published in the official Sonic Chain documentation.
What makes Sonic Chain different from other blockchains?
Sonic Chain is distinguished by its specific consensus mechanism, virtual machine, developer tooling, and ecosystem focus. Key differentiators may include throughput, fee levels, decentralisation trade-offs, and the maturity of its DeFi ecosystem. Reviewing independent comparisons on DeFiLlama and Messari provides objective data.
How do I get started with Sonic Chain?
To begin using Sonic Chain, install a compatible wallet (MetaMask works for EVM-compatible chains), add the Sonic Chain network via its official RPC settings, and acquire the native token for gas. Most networks have a dedicated faucet for test tokens on their testnet. Visit the official Sonic Chain website for a step-by-step onboarding guide.