Sony’s Soneium Taps EigenLayer to Cut Blockchain Finality Time to Under 10 Seconds

Sony’s Soneium Taps EigenLayer to Cut Blockchain Finality Time to Under 10 Seconds

Sony’s blockchain subsidiary, Sony Block Solutions Labs, has taken a major leap toward solving one of blockchain’s biggest bottlenecks — transaction finality — through its layer-2 network, Soneium. In a joint effort with EigenLayer, AltLayer, and Astar Network, Soneium has introduced a “Fast Finality Layer” that reduces transaction finality time by over 98%, bringing it down from 15 minutes to under 10 seconds.

Strategic Partnership Brings Real-Time Blockchain UX

The initiative was announced by Astar, a leading Japanese Web3 adoption collective, which bridges Soneium with Astar Network. The new finality layer integrates EigenLayer’s restaking infrastructure and AltLayer’s MACH validation to bring near-instant, irreversible transaction confirmation to Soneium — a critical step for enabling secure and scalable decentralized applications.

Soneium, ALtLayer, EigenLayer partnership. Source: Astar Network

“This milestone is just the beginning — and there’s a much larger story unfolding around how fast finality will reshape developer UX, DeFi, and crosschain experiences,” said Maarten Henskens, head of the Astar Foundation.

Finality refers to the point at which a blockchain transaction becomes irreversible, a core requirement for financial-grade applications. The newly developed layer uses a decentralized validator network secured by restaked Ether (ETH) and Astar (ASTR) tokens to enhance cross-chain security and eliminate dependency on centralized sequencers.

From 15 Minutes to 10 Seconds — Why Finality Matters

Soneium originally used Optimism’s OP Stack, which offered a finality time of about 15 minutes — a significant delay that hindered high-speed financial applications. The Fast Finality Layer, now boasting sub-10-second finality, opens the door to real-time, interactive dApps, better DeFi execution, and smoother user experiences.

“It’s a foundational improvement in UX and trust,” Henskens said. “Users no longer need to wait or double-check if a transaction will be reversed.”

Currently, Arbitrum One and Coinbase’s Base are among the fastest L2s, offering finality times of about one minute using optimistic rollups, according to L2beat. Soneium’s move dramatically outpaces both.

Solving Finality: The Missing Piece for Mass Adoption

According to YQ Jia, CEO of AltLayer, improving finality is critical for Web3’s mainstream breakthrough.

“By combining EigenLayer’s restaking with MACH validation and support from Astar Network, we’re creating an infrastructure that offers the best of both worlds — Ethereum’s security guarantees with near-instant finality,” Jia said.

L2s by blockchain finality time. Source: L2beat 

EigenLayer, a key player in Ethereum’s emerging restaking ecosystem, has consistently pursued innovations that unlock new Web3 use cases. In February 2025, it partnered with Cartesi to support next-gen consumer applications aimed at accelerating crypto’s real-world adoption.

Conclusion

With Soneium’s new finality layer, Sony is not only solving a deep-rooted technical challenge — it's setting the stage for faster, more secure, and user-friendly blockchain experiences. As Ethereum L2s continue to evolve, innovations like this could mark a turning point in bringing blockchain tech to the mainstream.