Ethereum remains one of the most widely recognised blockchains, especially for smart contracts and decentralised applications, but it continues to face persistent challenges such as network congestion and high gas fees, which can make transactions costly and slow during peak usage. These limitations have encouraged builders and users to explore alternative layer-1 networks that offer better scalability and lower costs. One such alternative is Fantom, a high-performance layer-1 blockchain that uses an asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus to deliver near-instant finality and extremely low fees, making it a competitive choice for decentralised finance, dApps, and emerging use cases like blockchain social media applications. Fantom’s EVM compatibility and growing ecosystem make it an increasingly attractive option for projects and users seeking cost-efficient, scalable solutions beyond Ethereum’s mainnet.

Recently, the Fantom blockchain underwent a strategic rebrand to Sonic, marking a major upgrade aimed at enhancing network performance, scalability, and interoperability with Ethereum. The new Sonic chain is a high‑performance, EVM‑compatible layer‑1 blockchain designed to support the next generation of dApps with improved transaction speed, stronger security, and even lower fees. This evolution positions Fantom/Sonic as a viable and forward-looking alternative for developers and users seeking a more efficient and versatile blockchain platform for a wide range of decentralized applications.

What is Fantom (now Sonic) All About?

Fantom is a permissionless and decentralised layer-1 blockchain designed to support smart contracts and decentralised applications with high performance and low fees. While it shares core functionality with other alternatives to Ethereum, Fantom’s architecture sets it apart by addressing speed and scalability without sacrificing security. The network uses a unique consensus mechanism called Lachesis, which enables near-instant transaction finality and high throughput, helping it avoid the congestion and high costs that can affect more traditional blockchains like Ethereum.

What makes Fantom distinctive is its modular design, which allows developers to deploy separate, independent blockchains rather than forcing all applications onto a single main chain. Each of these blockchains can operate autonomously with its own custom parameters, such as tokens, tokenomics, and governance rules, while still benefiting from the shared security and speed of Fantom’s core infrastructure. This modular approach gives projects flexibility and performance advantages, as congestion in one chain doesn’t impact others, and all components remain connected through the underlying consensus layer.

Why is Fantom (now Sonic) Valuable?

Fantom’s value stems from its ability to solve key challenges in the blockchain space, particularly the “trilemma” of balancing security, scalability, and decentralisation. It provides a fast, low-cost environment for decentralised applications (dApps), digital assets, and DeFi protocols, making it a preferred platform for developers and users seeking efficiency beyond congested networks like Ethereum. Its growing ecosystem, staking opportunities, and upcoming upgrades further enhance Fantom’s utility and long-term potential.

Who Created Fantom (now Sonic)?

Fantom was created by Dr. Ahn Byung Ik in 2018. The project was designed to deliver a high-performance, scalable, and decentralised network that could support smart contracts and dApps efficiently, addressing the limitations of earlier layer-1 blockchains. The team’s focus on developer-friendly tools and interoperability has helped Fantom establish itself as a notable player in the blockchain space.

How Does Fantom (now Sonic) Work?

Fantom’s architecture centres around two key components — the Opera mainnet and a flexible network of independent blockchains — designed to address the longstanding blockchain “trilemma” of balancing security, decentralisation, and scalability. The Opera mainnet serves as Fantom’s primary smart contract platform, utilising the Lachesis consensus mechanism, which combines Proof-of-Stake with asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerance (aBFT) to achieve rapid transaction finality, robust security, and high throughput without sacrificing decentralised participation.

Beyond Opera, Fantom’s modular network allows developers to deploy separate blockchains that operate autonomously while still benefiting from the shared consensus layer. This means each chain can be customised yet remain interconnected, helping to reduce congestion and maintain performance as usage grows — a practical way to improve scalability without compromising the other core pillars of decentralised infrastructure.

The Lachesis Consensus Mechanism Explained

Fantom’s Lachesis consensus mechanism is a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) protocol combined with asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerance (aBFT). This design enables rapid transaction finality, high throughput, and energy-efficient validation while maintaining decentralisation. By using Lachesis, Fantom ensures that all nodes reach agreement quickly without requiring global synchronisation, which drastically reduces delays and network congestion.

Asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerance (aBFT) Explained

aBFT is a consensus model that allows nodes to operate independently and asynchronously while still achieving network-wide agreement. This means transactions are validated efficiently even if some nodes are faulty or delayed. aBFT is a core component of Fantom’s Lachesis protocol, enabling secure, fast, and scalable operations for both dApps and DeFi applications.

Why aBFT Matters for Fantom’s (now Sonic) Performance

aBFT ensures sub-second transaction finality, higher throughput, and minimal risk of forks or network halts. It allows Fantom to process thousands of transactions per second while remaining decentralised, giving developers and users a reliable, high-performance blockchain environment.

What is Fantom (now Sonic) Network?

The Fantom network consists of the main blockchain, independent blockchains deployed by developers and their shared features. The entire network is secured through a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism called “Lachesis.”

Lachesis operates using a “Byzantine Fault Tolerant” mechanism. This ensures the network does not need all nodes to be in agreement to operate. As many as one-third of the nodes can fail to respond or respond with faulty information without operations being disrupted. It also enables the network to operate asynchronously, meaning data can be processed at different times on different nodes.

Independent nodes can communicate with each other to share data on transactions, but they do not need to finalise blocks. This results in a system which can process transactions in seconds, without lengthy confirmation times.

What is Fantom (now Sonic) Opera

As mentioned above, Opera is the Fantom mainnet. It is a deployment platform for dApps on the network and provides an open environment to developers. Opera is also integrated with the Ethereum Virtual Machine and supports all of Ethereum’s smart contract features. The team is also working on a “Fantom Virtual Machine”. This is a software development kit that allows developers to create applications for Fantom natively. With this, they wish to draw developers away from the Ethereum network onto their own platform. Every independent blockchain is modular, with features like tokenomics and governance of the application under the control of its developers. However, they still have access to the same Lachesis system that ensures all blockchains on the network are fast and secure.

How To Stake Fantom (now Sonic)?

Fantom’s native token, FTM, plays a central role in securing the network and participating in its governance and decentralised finance ecosystem. Holders can stake FTM to earn rewards by supporting the network’s proof-of-stake consensus, either by delegating to an existing validator or, for technically experienced users, by running a validator node themselves.

One of the user-friendly aspects of Fantom’s staking model is that there is no minimum amount required to start earning rewards — you can begin staking with as little as 1 FTM by delegating it to a validator, making participation accessible to most users. Validators themselves must stake a higher amount — typically at least 50,000 FTM — which helps them participate directly in block validation and earn additional incentives.

Staking rewards on the network vary depending on whether tokens are locked and for how long. Fantom offers a fluid staking model where the base reward rate starts at around ~1.8% APR without a lock-up, and users can choose a lock-up period (up to 365 days) to earn higher APRs — with typical increases seen as lock-up duration increases. Delegation to a validator usually involves a 15% fee paid to the validator from the staking rewards, and tokens become fully available after a seven-day unbonding period once you choose to unstake.

This flexible, open staking model allows a wide range of users to participate in securing the Fantom network and earn passive rewards from their FTM holdings while contributing to network health and governance.

What is a Fantom (now Sonic) Coin Used For?

• Governance – Holders of FTM tokens are also eligible to participate in the governance of the network. This means voting on key issues such as network fees, software updates and staking rewards.
• Staking – As mentioned above, you can stake your tokens to help secure the network and earn more tokens. This can be a lucrative side investment for users, especially if you have many tokens staked.
• Fees – The Fantom network must pay its stakers and validators to continue operating. Making transactions on the blockchain also requires the payment of these fees in FTM tokens.
• Payments – Like other cryptos, FTM tokens can also be used for payments and transactions. They can be transferred from one wallet to another just like Bitcoin.

Fantom (now Sonic) Coin’s Future

Fantom’s long-term outlook for its native token, FTM, is largely influenced by how effectively the network executes its technological roadmap and expands real-world usage across decentralised applications and DeFi ecosystems. A key factor shaping this direction is Fantom’s evolution toward the Sonic network, a modernised infrastructure built to deliver higher speeds, better scalability, and an improved environment for developers compared to the earlier Opera mainnet. This shift is expected to strengthen network efficiency while making Fantom more attractive to new builders and capital.

Beyond core technology, Fantom is steadily broadening its ecosystem through continued growth in DeFi protocols, dApps, and cross-chain integrations. Ongoing partnerships, ecosystem incentives, and initiatives such as dedicated innovation funds are designed to encourage adoption, support developers, and improve interoperability with other blockchain networks. These efforts may help Fantom sustain relevance as competition among layer-1 platforms intensifies.

Market expectations for FTM remain mixed, with projections differing based on assumptions around adoption, network usage, and overall crypto market conditions. While some outlooks point to gradual appreciation over the coming years as network activity expands, near-term price action is still likely to be influenced by broader market cycles and shifting investor sentiment.

Taken together, Fantom’s focus on performance upgrades, ecosystem expansion, and cost-efficient infrastructure positions it as a network with room to evolve further. If execution aligns with its stated goals, Fantom could continue to play a meaningful role in the blockchain landscape.

Final Thoughts

Fantom aims to move the industry closer to an interconnected network of blockchains by focusing on speed, scalability, and flexible design. Its technical approach gives it the potential to secure a meaningful role in the long-term evolution of the crypto ecosystem. That said, continued relevance will depend on how effectively the network adapts to changing market dynamics. Competing layer-1 blockchains currently command larger user communities and higher market capitalisations, and Fantom will need to differentiate itself and scale adoption to compete in a landscape still largely shaped by Ethereum’s dominance.

The Fantom Rebrand: Introducing Sonic

Fantom has completed a major transformation by rebranding its layer‑1 blockchain to Sonic, marking a strategic evolution beyond its original Opera network. This upgrade was designed to address longstanding performance and scalability limitations, with Sonic now live as a high‑throughput blockchain capable of processing up to 10,000 transactions per second and achieving sub‑one‑second finality. As part of the transition, the native Fantom (FTM) token was swapped 1:1 for the new S token, and most major exchanges and wallets now support the Sonic network automatically.

The Sonic rebrand goes beyond a simple name change: it introduces enhanced network architecture focused on speed, security, and interoperability, including tighter integration with Ethereum and improved developer incentives. The launch of Sonic follows months of planning and community support, including coordinated migration pathways for FTM holders and ongoing ecosystem development efforts.

Since the rebrand, the network has continued to attract TVL growth and ecosystem activity, demonstrating early adoption momentum as projects and users transition onto Sonic’s upgraded infrastructure.

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