Sonic Network Achieves Unprecedented 720-Millisecond Transaction Finality During Testnet

The Sonic blockchain platform has demonstrated remarkable performance during its testnet phase, achieving transaction finality in just 720 milliseconds (ms). This achievement marks a significant milestone in blockchain technology.

In the context of blockchain systems, finality refers to the point at which a transaction becomes irreversible and permanently recorded on the blockchain ledger. This occurs after the transaction has been successfully incorporated into a block.

According to Andre Cronje, the mastermind behind the Fantom Network and the chief technology officer at Sonic Labs, Sonic is positioning itself as the fastest Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible blockchain in existence. Cronje asserts that Sonic has achieved a “true” finality time of 720 ms, setting it apart from other blockchain networks.

In a statement shared on social media platform X on September 8, Cronje elaborated on Sonic’s capabilities:

“400ms responsiveness (perfect for synchronous events). 720ms finality (true, not probabilistic – no “please wait 30 blocks”).”

This statement underscores not only the speed of transaction finality but also highlights the blockchain’s quick responsiveness, which could prove advantageous for applications requiring real-time synchronisation. Furthermore, Cronje emphasises that Sonic’s finality is absolute, rather than probabilistic, eliminating the need for users to wait for multiple block confirmations to ensure transaction security.

In contrast to most blockchain networks, which typically require the addition of several blocks to ensure transaction irreversibility, Sonic claims to achieve transaction finality in just over 700 milliseconds. This rapid finality stands out as a significant advancement in blockchain technology.

Andre Cronje, a prominent figure in the decentralised finance (DeFi) space, is the driving force behind Sonic. Cronje’s reputation precedes him, having previously founded influential projects such as Yearn.finance and the Keep3r Network.

While it’s important to note that Sonic’s impressive performance has been demonstrated in a testnet environment, which often allows for optimised conditions compared to real-world scenarios, the achieved finality time is nonetheless remarkable.

Cronje believes that if Sonic can maintain this level of performance post-mainnet launch, it could potentially become the blockchain network with the fastest transaction finality.

For context, current data from Chainspect indicates that the Solana mainnet, widely recognized for its speed, achieves transaction finality in 12.8 seconds. Although Solana boasts rapid block production times of around 400 milliseconds, it typically requires 31 block confirmations to reach true finality. This stands in stark contrast to Sonic’s testnet, which reportedly achieves finality in just 420 milliseconds.

Given its impressive performance metrics, Sonic has the potential to become a preferred platform for blockchain developers and project creators. This appeal is further enhanced by the network’s developer-friendly economic model.

Andre Cronje highlighted a particularly attractive feature of Sonic: a substantial portion of the network’s transaction fees – 90% to be precise – is redirected to the developers building on the platform. This revenue-sharing model could serve as a significant incentive for developers to choose Sonic for their projects.

The development of Sonic has received substantial backing from the Fantom Foundation. In a move to encourage adoption, the foundation announced in June a significant allocation of Fantom tokens, valued at $120 million. This fund is earmarked to assist developers in transitioning their projects from the Fantom network to Sonic.

The inception of the Sonic project was officially announced on May 23, when the Fantom Foundation revealed the creation of the Sonic Foundation and the commencement of the Sonic chain’s development.

The newly established Sonic Foundation has been entrusted with several crucial responsibilities. These include overseeing the governance of the Sonic network, managing its treasury, fostering strategic partnerships, and nurturing the growth of its decentralised application ecosystem.

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