A zkSync Hyperchain focused on entertainment, Sophon, has secured 60 million dollars worth of Wrapped Ethereum (wETH) through node sales. The funds will be used to launch Sophon, an ecosystem centered on artificial intelligence (AI) and gaming built as a modular rollup leveraging zero knowledge (ZK) technology, with a targeted launch in the third quarter of 2024.
Significant Achievement from the Sophon Team
The $60 million node sale is considered high for an emerging project. According to Sophon’s co-founder Seb, part of the success of the node sale can be attributed to the need for reliable infrastructure for entertainment-focused use cases such as gaming and artificial intelligence. Seb stated the following:
“Gaming and artificial intelligence require technology partners to scale with cheap and robust infrastructure. Choosing ZK technology here is a move made by these individuals because the TPS capacity is much greater compared to optimistic setups, and especially the fees in the zkSync codebase are much lower; hence the transaction fee is not variable.”
Both gaming and artificial intelligence protocols depend on robust infrastructure to meet user demand and the high volume of microtransactions associated with these use cases. Seb further explained:
“Gaming or artificial intelligence protocols generate millions of transactions, and running a zkEVM in Validium mode guarantees the most scalable infrastructure that does not suffer interruptions when there is volatility on the network, alongside the lowest fees.”
During the node sale process, the team offered a total of 200,000 nodes, and this came in addition to the last $10 million financing round managed by leading investors such as Spartan, SevenX, and OKX Ventures with participation from Paper Ventures and Maven 11.
Noteworthy Details for Sophon
Beyond merely raising capital, the recent node sales aimed to create a foundational owner community that can expect future airdrop events and other valuable rewards. Seb clarified this point with the following words:
“The purpose of the node sale was actually to create an OG community consisting of thousands of people before we launch the chain. We will always strive to add value to them through emission fees, airdrop events, and other projects.”
Airdrop events are a popular way to attract new users to early-stage decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. It involves assigning new tasks to the first users who interact with a protocol. Sophon aims to build a strong developer and investor community through future incentives, which will enhance the network effects of projects built on the protocol:
“This is incredibly valuable and highly attractive for developers. The process will grow the community and thus accelerate a very positive feedback loop, making choosing Sophon over other options for gaming or artificial intelligence projects valuable.”
