Sonic Labs wants to ‘vertically integrate’ core apps to drive value to S token, hints at acquisitions

Sonic, the Layer 1 blockchain formerly known as Fantom, is shifting its strategy from relying solely on gas fees to vertically integrating core economic infrastructure to drive demand and utility for its native S token. Sonic Labs announced this plan, stating they will build critical economic infrastructure themselves or acquire and integrate high-quality application teams across trading, credit, payments, settlement, and risk markets. This move aims to prevent "value leakage" by owning and monetizing key economic activities, reinforcing their existing FeeM monetization system to enable sustainable token buybacks. Sonic Labs argues the old model of L1 reliance on gas fees is obsolete due to scaling advancements creating a surplus of blockspace, citing Hyperliquid as an example of successful infrastructure and application inseparability.

(Source：The Block)