The blockchain landscape is evolving rapidly, and one of the most exciting frontiers is the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) ecosystem. By combining Solana’s high-speed architecture with cross-chain compatibility and Ethereum’s robust developer tools, SVM-based projects are redefining scalability, performance, and user experience in Web3. Among the leading contenders—Sonic SVM, SOON, and Eclipse—each offers a distinct vision for how decentralized applications can scale without sacrificing security or usability.
This in-depth analysis explores the technical foundations, unique value propositions, and ecosystem developments of these three pioneering SVM projects. Whether you're a developer, investor, or Web3 enthusiast, understanding their differences and synergies is key to navigating the next wave of blockchain innovation.
What Is Solana Virtual Machine (SVM)?
At its core, the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) is the runtime environment that executes smart contracts on Solana. Unlike the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), SVM leverages Solana’s parallel transaction processing engine and Proof of History consensus to achieve ultra-high throughput—often exceeding tens of thousands of transactions per second (TPS).
As demand for scalable infrastructure grows, especially in gaming and DeFi, developers are exploring ways to bring SVM’s performance benefits beyond Solana’s native chain. This has led to the emergence of SVM-powered Layer 2 (L2) solutions built on other ecosystems like Ethereum, creating hybrid architectures that merge speed with liquidity and composability.
Enter: Sonic SVM, SOON, and Eclipse—three projects pushing the boundaries of what SVM can do.
Sonic SVM: Powering High-Performance Web3 Gaming
👉 Discover how Sonic SVM is revolutionizing mobile gaming with seamless Web3 integration.
Sonic SVM stands out as the first atomically composable SVM chain, specifically designed for sovereign game economies on Solana. Built atop the HyperGrid framework—a concurrent scaling solution developed by the same team (formerly Mirror World Labs)—Sonic enables game developers to deploy EVM-compatible dApps that run natively on Solana.
Core Advantages of Sonic SVM
- Ultra-Fast & Low-Cost Transactions: Leverages SVM’s speed for real-time gameplay and microtransactions.
- Atomic Interoperability: Interacts directly with Solana’s programs and accounts without redeployment.
- Write in EVM, Execute on SVM: Developers can port existing EVM dApps seamlessly via HyperGrid’s interpreter.
- Game-First Infrastructure: Native support for ECS (Entity-Component-System) frameworks, sandboxed logic execution, and in-game monetization tools.
- Built-in Monetization Stack: Provides infrastructure for payments, user acquisition, and revenue sharing.
Addressing Solana’s Scalability Challenges
With Solana’s daily transactions surging from 4 million in 2022 to over 200 million in 2024—and projected to exceed 4 billion by 2026—network congestion has become a critical bottleneck. During peak usage, transaction success rates drop below 85% when TPS exceeds 4,000.
Sonic tackles this by offloading game-specific workloads into dedicated L1 chains (Grid instances) under HyperGrid, reducing strain on Solana’s mainnet while maintaining native composability.
SonicX: Bridging TikTok and Web3 Gaming
One of Sonic’s most innovative moves is SonicX, a mini-app platform integrated with TikTok. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok offers an unprecedented gateway for mass Web3 adoption.
Here’s how it works:
- Users log in using their TikTok account (KYC-verified).
- A non-custodial wallet is auto-generated and bound to their social identity.
- All in-game assets are real blockchain tokens—fully on-chain but abstracted from the user.
- No prior knowledge of wallets, private keys, or gas fees required.
This “invisible wallet” model mirrors Telegram’s successful mini-app ecosystem but taps into TikTok’s younger, global audience. It lowers the barrier to entry dramatically, enabling true Web2-to-Web3 onboarding at scale.
In late 2024, Sonic partnered with Mahjong Verse (backed by Dragonfly and Folius) to launch a “Sheep Game”-style puzzle game on SonicX—proving that viral mechanics can now be replicated in a fully on-chain environment.
Tokenomics and Roadmap
- $SONIC total supply: 2.4 billion
- 57% allocated to community: Includes ecosystem development (30%), initial claims (7%), and HyperGrid rewards (20%)
- TGE launched January 7, 2025, listed on major exchanges including OKX and Bybit
- Over 2 million active wallets and 40+ game studio partnerships
Sonic isn’t just building infrastructure—it’s creating a funnel from social media virality to sustainable on-chain economies.
SOON: The High-Performance Execution Layer for Ethereum
While Sonic focuses on gaming within Solana’s orbit, SOON takes a different approach—bringing SVM speed directly to Ethereum as a high-performance L2.
SOON’s product suite includes:
- SOON Stack: A rollup framework based on OP Stack and a custom Decoupled SVM
- SOON Mainnet: The first chain deployed using SOON Stack, settling on Ethereum
- InterSOON: A cross-chain messaging protocol powered by Hyperlane
Why Decoupled SVM Beats Forked SVM
Many SVM projects simply fork Solana’s client with minor tweaks. SOON goes further by decoupling the Transaction Processing Unit (TPU) from the underlying consensus layer, eliminating unnecessary overhead like vote transactions and P2P gossiping.
Key benefits:
- ✅ Native support for Fraud Proofs
- ✅ Optimized data availability (DA) usage
- ✅ Up to 30,000 TPS on public testnet
- ✅ Sub-second finality with 50ms block times
By stripping away redundant components, SOON achieves greater efficiency than traditional forked SVM implementations.
Mission: Unlocking Mass Adoption on Ethereum
SOON aims to solve fundamental limitations in Ethereum’s current stack:
| Challenge | SOON’s Solution |
|---|---|
| Single-threaded execution | Parallel processing via SVM |
| High gas fees during peaks | Localized fee markets reduce spillover |
| Fragmented liquidity across chains | Unified execution layer improves capital efficiency |
| High barrier to zkVM adoption | Leverages Rust-based SVM for faster development |
| EVM developer gap | Attracts top-tier engineers with superior tooling |
Unlike many projects, SOON raised funds exclusively through a builder-focused round, with no VC participation. Backers include Anatoly Yakovenko (Solana), Lily Liu (Solana Foundation), and Mustafa Al-Bassam (Celestia)—a testament to its technical credibility.
Ecosystem Highlights
SOON’s early ecosystem leans heavily into DeFi:
- Portal Finance: Lending protocol
- Raptor & Alita: AMM and native DEX
- EnzoFi: Cross-chain liquidity hub (163K+ X followers)
- Blendy: Meme coin lending market (150K+ testnet trades)
Emerging consumer apps include:
- Aeronyx (DePIN computing network)
- Gigentic (AI agent collaboration platform)
- Polyquest (decentralized prediction market)
SOON launched its Alpha Mainnet in January 2025 with a fair-launch token model:
- $SOON initial supply: 1 billion
- 51% to community via fair launch
- No pre-mine, no private allocations
- 3% annual inflation post-genesis
👉 See how SOON is setting new standards for decentralized performance.
Eclipse: Pure Speed on Ethereum Without a Native Token
Eclipse completes the trio as the earliest-to-market SVM L2 on Ethereum—but with a bold strategic choice: no native token.
Instead, Eclipse uses ETH as gas, tightly integrating itself with Ethereum’s security and economic model. It also introduces tETH (Turbo ETH), a unified restaking token developed with Nucleus, which aggregates yields from multiple LRTs like weETH, ezETH, and rswETH.
Key Features
- First SVM-based L2 on Ethereum
- DA layer powered by Celestia
- Gas paid in ETH only
- tETH provides yield-bearing liquidity for L2 operators
- Emphasizes research-driven development and ecosystem growth
Despite not having a token, Eclipse has attracted solid traction:
- $19.3M TVL (DeFiLlama)
- 195K+ followers on X
- Major DeFi protocols: Orca ($9.2M TVL), Save ($3.5M), Invariant ($3.2M)
Consumer-Facing Applications
Eclipse fosters a vibrant app ecosystem:
- SEND Arcade: Play-to-earn platform rewarding players in ETH
- Dscvr.one: Social protocol (80K+ followers)
- After School Club: Genesis NFT collection
- Moonlaunch.fun: Pump.fun clone for meme launches
- Blobscriptions: On-chain inscriptions
Leadership changes occurred in late 2024 when founder Neel Somani stepped down; Vijay Chetty (ex-Uniswap Labs) took over as CEO, later appointing Ben Livshits (Stanford PhD, Brave alum) as CTO—signaling a renewed focus on technical excellence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Are Sonic SVM, SOON, and Eclipse competitors?
A: Not directly. Sonic enhances Solana for gaming; SOON and Eclipse bring SVM speed to Ethereum but differ in tokenomics and governance models.
Q: Which project supports EVM dApps best?
A: All three offer EVM compatibility layers. However, Sonic's HyperGrid allows full EVM-to-SVM deployment, making migration easiest for developers.
Q: Can I earn rewards without holding a native token?
A: Yes—Eclipse users earn via tETH yield, while Sonic offers HyperGrid staking rewards even before full token distribution.
Q: Is SOON truly decentralized if it launched without VCs?
A: Its fair-launch model promotes decentralization by avoiding early investor advantages. Governance will likely evolve community-driven over time.
Q: How do these compare to zk-Rollups?
A: These are optimistic rollups using SVM for speed. They prioritize performance over privacy—ideal for gaming and DeFi where low latency matters more than zero-knowledge proofs.
Q: Which has the strongest institutional backing?
A: Eclipse leads in funding ($65M+), followed by Sonic ($12M A-round). SOON prioritizes builder alignment over capital.
Final Thoughts: The Future of SVM Is Multichain
Sonic SVM, SOON, and Eclipse represent three divergent yet complementary paths forward for SVM adoption:
- Sonic brings Web3 gaming to billions via TikTok integration.
- SOON delivers raw performance to Ethereum with a fair-launch ethos.
- Eclipse bets on pure composability by anchoring itself entirely to ETH.
Together, they illustrate a future where virtual machines aren’t tied to single chains—but serve as modular execution environments across ecosystems.
As adoption grows, expect increased interoperability between these platforms, driven by shared standards and user demand for frictionless experiences.
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