SOON Airdrop

Problem Solved

SOON seeks to solve two big problems in blockchain: chains don’t talk to each other well, and transactions are expensive. Most rollups rely on Ethereum’s EVM, making them slow and fragmented. SOON integrates Solana’s Virtual Machine (SVM) into multiple Layer 1s, boosting transaction speed and efficiency.

By separating execution from consensus, SOON enables faster processing and lower fees. InterSOON, its cross-chain messaging system, removes the need for token bridges and wrapped assets, ensuring seamless blockchain interactions. Instead of patchwork solutions, SOON makes interoperability feel native and automatic.

For developers, this means fewer limitations. SOON lets them launch high-performance chains on any L1 without being tied to Ethereum’s EVM constraints. This creates more opportunities for gaming, DeFi, and other real-time applications that need speed and scalability. If widely adopted, SOON could make cross-chain activity as easy as using a single blockchain. The challenge is getting developers to migrate from the well-established EVM ecosystem to a newer framework. However, if it succeeds, it could set a new standard for how blockchains interact and operate. 

Tokenomics

The $SOON token is set to be a standard native asset for the SOON ecosystem, used for governance, staking, transaction fees, and incentivizing builders and users. Unlike many blockchain projects, SOON launched with no pre-mined tokens for VCs, ensuring a fair distribution from the start.

With an initial supply of 1 billion tokens and a modest 3% annual inflation, the goal is to balance growth with long-term sustainability. Over half (51%) of the supply is dedicated to the community, fueling staking rewards, governance participation, and ecosystem incentives. Another 25% supports ecosystem growth, funding grants, partnerships, and developer incentives. The remaining allocation includes 10% for the team, 8% for airdrops and liquidity, and 6% set aside in reserves.

A key feature of SOON’s tokenomics is its focus on decentralization. Governance is entirely community-driven, allowing holders to vote on protocol upgrades, treasury management, and ecosystem development. Additionally, staking plays a role in securing the network while rewarding active participants. This model ensures that the majority of value and decision-making power remains with the users who contribute to SOON’s growth and adoption. 

Perspectives

SOON seems to be betting big on the Super Adoption Stack (SAS) to make cross-chain execution seamless. As already mentioned in the problem solved section, the challenge is getting developers to move from Ethereum’s familiar EVM to Solana’s SVM. SVM is generally faster and cheaper, but it’s still new, and the developer ecosystem isn’t as mature.

To make this work, SOON needs strong incentives and solid developer support. If it can attract builders, it could become the go-to SVM Layer 2 on Ethereum and beyond. The biggest hurdles are technical complexity, securing partnerships with major Layer 1s, and competing with other cross-chain solutions.

Another key factor is proving the security of its fault-proof system. Developers and users need confidence that SOON can handle large-scale operations without risks. If it can pull this off, SOON has the potential to reshape blockchain interoperability and adoption in a big way. 

Founders and Team

SOON - Solana Optimistic Network was launched in June 2024 by a team that brings extensive experience across blockchain ecosystems with a strong focus on execution. Co-founder and CEO Joanna Zeng has been in crypto since 2017, leading business development and partnerships at Coinbase, Optimism, and Aleo. Co-founder and CTO Andrew Zhou is a seasoned smart contract developer with expertise in Layer 1 blockchain development, backed by five years of Rust and six years of Golang experience. SOON is strategically aligned with Anza, the development company spun off from Solana Labs, leveraging the SVM specifications in Anza’s Agave repository as an implementation reference. 

Funding

SOON secured its initial funding exclusively from industry builders through a “co-builder round”, with no involvement from venture capital firms. Notable backers include Anatoly Yakovenko (Co-founder of Solana Labs), Jonathan King (Principal at Coinbase Ventures), Mustafa Al-Bassam (Co-founder of Celestia), Amrit Kumar (Co-founder of AltLayer), and Victor Ji (Co-founder of Manta Network), among others. The amount raised during this round was not publicly disclosed.

Additionally, the project conducted a public NFT sale where 11,936 NFTs were minted out by 3,015 individuals, among which prominent entities such as Hack VC, Anagram, ABCDE Labs, Hypersphere, and Ark Stream. This sale was positioned as a fair launch, with no pre-mine or VC privileges, ensuring equitable token distribution to both builders and the broader community. 

Community

The community sentiment toward SOON is largely positive, driven by its potential for scalability, cost efficiency, and interoperability. The launch of SOON Stack and SOON Mainnet has generated enthusiasm, particularly for its ability to reduce costs and improve performance by up to 10x. SOON has fostered strong community engagement, evident from the launch of SOON Devnet for public testing, which has attracted active developer participation. The developers in the community appreciate SOON’s use of Decoupled SVM for parallel transaction processing, viewing it as a technical breakthrough for scalability. Additionally, integrations with Caldera and Cytonic are seen as key to expanding SVM’s utility beyond Solana.

Overall, sentiment remains optimistic, with SOON positioned as a promising player in blockchain scalability and interoperability. However, as with any crypto project, its trajectory will depend on continued development, market conditions, and broader industry trends. 

Competitors

SOON is entering a packed market with some heavyweight competition. On Ethereum, it goes up against Arbitrum, Optimism, zkSync, and Base — projects with strong developer traction and established ecosystems. These rollups offer lower fees and better scalability for Ethereum, and Base, backed by Coinbase, is rapidly gaining traction.

Other competitors that can be considered are Eclipse, Movement Labs and MegaETH. Avalanche, although not directly in the SVM or Ethereum rollup category, could also be seen as a competitor in the broader context of scalable blockchain solutions with its Subnets.

The possibly big differentiator for SOON is its decoupled SVM approach, which aims to bring Solana-level speed to multiple Layer 1s without locking developers into Ethereum’s EVM.

Adoption is the real battleground. Ethereum rollups already have major DeFi projects and liquidity, while newer rollups are scrambling for market share. SOON needs to prove that its cross-chain flexibility and speed make it worth switching to. If it can attract early adoption and real use cases, it could carve out a serious niche in the modular blockchain ecosystem. 

Other details

SOON Big Bang Season 1 is the first phase of a long-term ecosystem growth program designed to reward users and COMMing SOON NFT holders for engaging with SOON’s ecosystem. With over 12% of the total $SOON supply allocated to rewards, participants can earn tokens through interactions with nine ecosystem projects, including wallets, bridges, DEXs, lending platforms, and consumer applications. COMMing SOON NFT holders receive boosted rewards, with a Battle Pass Pool allowing them to earn up to 50% more $SOON tokens over multiple seasons. General users can compete on a leaderboard for a share of the airdrop pool. Additionally, NFT staking and future AI-driven features will enhance their long-term utility within the ecosystem.