Sonic, a pioneering Solana VM smart contracts platform, has unveiled its ACM protocol upgrade to redefine attention as a programmable and tradable asset class in Web3. After completing a recent funding round with institutional participation, Sonic has re-invented itself as an attention market layer for Solana (SOL).
Sonic SVM upgrade ACM introduces Web3 to attention economy space
According to the official statement by its team, Solana VM blockchain Sonic has launched the Attention Capital Markets (ACM) protocol upgrade for its mainnet. With the ACM upgrade live, the blockchain is set to become the backbone of Solana's evolvement into a dominant blockchain in the attention economy.
From its early roots in gaming, where attention is most concentrated, Sonic is evolving into a foundational network that makes attention programmable. By providing a verifiable data layer that captures both off-chain signals, such as impressions and clicks, with on-chain metrics such as transactions and volume, Sonic enables attention to flow into a new class of applications where attention, yield and assets converge.
The ACM upgrade is being launched with strong momentum across the capital, research, product and ecosystem fronts. VC heavyweights DWF Labs and Awaken Finance backed Sonic in a recent fundraising campaign to ensure a powerful liquidity boost and the smooth transition of Sonic to a new status.
The ACM Whitepaper, with the agenda, tech design and economic rationale for the upgrade, is co-authored by Professor Xi Chen of NYU, a recognized leader in computational economics.
ACM mainnet activation builds upon Sonic’s research into rewarding user attention, inspired by the success of its tap-to-earn game Sonic, built directly into TikTok, which attracted over two million users.
Sonic SVM evolves from gaming-centric protocol to holistic ecosystem
In early 2025, Sonic began researching how to systematically measure and reward this attention, culminating in the ACM framework: a system of standardized metrics, epochs and reward distribution that transforms raw engagement into tradable capital.
Sonic CEO Chris Zhu explained the importance of the ACM upgrade for Web3 app ecosystem and blockchain usage in attention economy design:
The ACM protocol upgrade marks the beginning of a new age where attention itself becomes capital. Backed by leading investors, groundbreaking research, and real consumer applications, Sonic is architecting the Attention Economy for builders, institutions, and communities worldwide.
The ACM launch is amplified by a growing ecosystem of partners, from infrastructure providers to consumer applications, that are integrating ACM into their own products. Together, they extend Sonic’s reach, transforming ACM from a concept into a market reality. With the ACM upgrade, Sonic signals the start of The Sonic Shift: from its gaming origins to programmable attention, from signals to capital and from isolated apps to infinite markets of attention.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team