Stablecoin issuer Circle has announced a new partnership with Sony Block Solutions Labs, integrating its bridged USDC stablecoin into Sony’s blockchain ecosystem. This collaboration will see bridged USDC become a primary asset for value exchange on Soneium, a public layer-2 network built on Ethereum.
In a press release dated September 16, Circle revealed that Soneium will incorporate its Bridged USDC Standard, making USDC one of the first tokens available for transactions on the network. The Bridged USDC Standard facilitates the deployment of USDC on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) blockchains, with the potential for a future upgrade to native USDC issuance, although no specific timeline has been provided.
Jun Watanabe, Chairman of Sony Block Solutions Labs, emphasized that the partnership is in line with Sony’s goal of creating a more interconnected and efficient digital ecosystem. This announcement follows a recent investment in Startale Labs by Samsung Next, the venture capital arm of South Korean tech giant Samsung, which is also involved in the Soneium Spark program.
Launched in late August, Soneium aims to focus initially on web3 users, with plans to integrate Sony Music, Sony Pictures, and Sony Bank by its second year. By the third year, the platform will expand to include enterprises and decentralized applications.
