Sony wants artificial intelligence companies to pay creators automatically for using their work. Its blockchain venture has a plan to make that happen, even as money deposited in its financial applications has collapsed.
On Monday, October 26, Sony-backed Soneium announced a new AI licensing system, entertainment investments, and plans for its own cryptocurrency.
Will this revive the Soneium blockchain, which lost over 90% of its total value locked (TVL) since early 2025?
Sony’s $193 Million Blockchain Problem
Deposits in Soneium’s decentralized finance (DeFi) applications have fallen 95%, from $203 million in May 2025 to approximately $9.4 million, according to DefiLlama.
Four major applications — Kyo Finance, Sonex, Untitled Bank and Sake Finance — collectively held around $159 million at their peak. Today, they hold roughly $1.5 million.
The network processed 163,691 transactions in 24 hours but generated just $118 in revenue.
These figures reveal weak financial activity, although DeFi deposits do not measure all assets held on Soneium.
Can AI Royalties Bring Investors Back?
Soneium, developed with Japanese crypto firm Startale, wants creators to register their work on blockchain so AI programs can check licensing conditions and arrange payments automatically.
It plans to support ERC-8432, a proposed Ethereum standard designed for machine-readable licensing.
Meanwhile, fans could invest in the Moriusa character franchise through tokens. A partnership with K-pop company DayOneDream also aims to offer investments linked to concert royalties.
“We will help them fund their next work at a new scale,” said Soneium Protocol Head Yuji Kumagai.
Sony’s AI Copyright Battle Raises Bigger Questions
Sony Music is already fighting AI companies over unpaid content.
In July, it filed another lawsuit against AI music generator Udio, alleging infringement involving more than 30,000 recordings. Potential statutory damages could exceed $4.5 billion if Sony prevailed across the claims.
Universal Music and Warner Music have already reached licensing agreements with Udio without blockchain.
Soneium has yet to name an AI company committed to its proposed licensing system. Its planned $SONEIUM token also has no confirmed launch date.
The question now is whether entertainment companies and AI developers will actually adopt the technology, generating enough business to reverse Soneium’s financial decline.
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