Soneium, Sony’s Ethereum Layer 2 platform, tried to block meme coins as part of its official policy to combat unauthorized use of intellectual property. Nevertheless, users have found a way around these measures, demonstrating the power of decentralized platforms.
Attempts to block meme coins on Soneium are thwarted by crypto-savvy users
Soneium, Sony Group’s Ethereum L2 platform, is already embroiled in its first controversy just days after its mainnet launch. As part of its intellectual property (IP) and contract protection policies, the project has moved to restrict the activities of meme coins on its platform by blocking their movements.
The issue was first raised by Soneium’s social media users, who had suffered heavy losses due to their inability to unload positions in various meme coins. However, crypto-savvy users have managed to bypass this block, which is implemented at a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) node level, complicating the connection between decentralized contracts and the blockchain.
Luca Donno, an L2beat researcher, tried to bypass this block by using L1 transactions, bypassing the chain sequencer’s censorship. Soneium is a standard OP stack chain, Donno.eth noted, meaning it must meet this condition.
However, this option is only available to savvy programmers who can edit transactions, an option that is out of reach for most users.
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, stated that this situation provided a “demonstration of how launching an Ethereum L2 is great for businesses and users,” noting that businesses can make choices regarding the level of control given to users is transferred.
“This is all a game of the free market,” he emphasized.
Mingshi Song, head of defi at Soneium, acknowledged that these rules were “stepping stones” for blockchain to become mainstream. “While these rules and their enforcement are not perfect, the goal is always to build frameworks that businesses can rely on while maintaining the fundamental principle of user sovereignty,” Song ruled.
Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Labs, also chimed in, noting that building this kind of chain wouldn’t be easy. “Someone had to initiate these IP rights and protection initiatives to get into mainstream business,” he concluded.
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