Somnia: Is this the blockchain that finally beats Ethereum in speed?

Somnia was just launched on September 11, 2025, and with it came an ambitious promise: 1 million+ transactions per second, finality in less than one second, and fees below one cent.

But wait, haven't we heard this before from Solana, Avalanche, and other Layer 1s? The difference is that Somnia doesn't want to be just another DeFi blockchain. Its vision is much larger: games, metaverses, social networks, and fully on-chain AI apps at massive scale.

The problem that Somnia is trying to solve

Web3 has stagnated in finance. Astronomical gas costs, scalability bottlenecks, and terrible user experience have kept mass consumer applications out of the game. Meanwhile, PwC projections estimate that the economies of video games and the metaverse will reach $800 billion by 2030.

Somnia is betting that it can capture that wave.

How does SOMI work?

The SOMI token has three key functions:

Staking: Validators stake SOMI to secure the network. Users can delegate SOMI to node providers.

Gas fees: Every transaction and execution of a smart contract requires SOMI.

Governance: Eventually, SOMI holders will vote on protocol updates.

This structure creates constant demand for SOMI, aligning incentives among users, developers, and investors.

The tokenomics (the important)

Total Supply: 1,000,000,000 SOMI

What stands out here: The release schedules are designed to prevent massive dumps. The community receives the largest allocation, ensuring initial liquidity. The team and investors have long lock-ups, aligning with long-term success.

What makes Somnia different?

1. Speed without compromise: 1M+ TPS with finality in <1 second. EVM compatible, meaning Ethereum smart contracts can be ported without changes.

2. Economical for the mass user: Commissions below a cent make it possible for games, social apps, and metaverses to operate without excluding users due to costs.

3. Focus on consumption, not finance: While other Layer 1s fight for TVL in DeFi, Somnia aims to be the infrastructure for real-time experiences.

The bullish scenario

If Somnia manages to attract developers and strategic partnerships, SOMI could become a fundamental token for mass-market Web3 applications. The on-chain video game and metaverse market is just beginning.

The bearish scenario

Developer adoption is uncertain. It will need to compete against Solana, Polygon, and other established chains that already have established ecosystems.

Conclusion: Somnia has the numbers on paper. Now it remains to be seen if it can fulfill the promise.