Author:
The Sonic $S token airdrop for the second season will launch on June 18, with a larger scale, smarter mechanisms, and richer rewards.
The new rules introduce a more dynamic structure for users and applications, focusing on rewarding genuine and sustained participation in the Sonic ecosystem.
Whether you are a veteran DeFi user or a developer building the next generation of on-chain applications, the second season offers more ways to earn incentives and reasons to stay active.
💡 Note: The first season's claims will open a few weeks after June 18, during which an audit will be conducted to filter out bots and Sybil attacks, ensuring rewards are given to real users.
User Section: Second Season Points System
In the first season, Sonic incentivized user participation through a passive points mechanism, successfully attracting around 100,000 daily active users and forming a thriving DeFi ecosystem.
The second season will shift towards a structure more focused on fundamentals and sustainability. Key updates are as follows:
❌ Cancellation of Passive Points
Simply holding whitelisted assets will no longer earn points. The passive points mechanism initially set up to help new users get started quickly has been completely removed.
⚡ Rewards for Active Behaviors
Users need to earn points by deploying whitelisted assets in the Sonic ecosystem, including participating in DEX market-making, lending, and other DeFi activities.
As the second season begins, "active points" will be simply referred to as "points" since passive points no longer exist.
📈 Loyalty Multiplier
To encourage continuous participation and prevent "hit and run" behavior, a loyalty multiplier mechanism is introduced:
Initial multiplier is based on first season performance, ranging from 1.0x to 2.0x;
Active behaviors during the second season will dynamically increase or decrease this multiplier, up to a maximum of 3.0x and a minimum of 1.0x;
Currently only applicable to EOA wallet accounts, with potential future expansion;
The loyalty multiplier will be visible on the MySonic page and will continue across multiple seasons.
💥 Whitelisted Assets
All whitelisted assets from the first season remain valid in the second season, with the possibility of adding more assets as the season progresses.
📋 Second Season Distribution Mechanism
The reward distribution mechanism for the second season will be different. We will announce the final distribution form three months into the second season, including the proportion of "direct release" versus "locked release".
Application Section: Gems System Second Season
Application competition is no longer just about TVL (Total Value Locked). This season emphasizes sustainability, real income, and fairness.
Update highlights include:
⛔ Prohibition of Gems Tokenization
Applications are no longer allowed to tokenize Gems, with immediate disqualification for violators.
However, applications can choose to:
Conduct their own points incentive program;
Claim S tokens through Gems to be distributed to users in the third season.
🎯 Incentive Weight
This metric measures the proportion of S tokens actually distributed to users by applications in the first season.
For example:
If an application distributes 100% of S to users, they receive 1x Gems in the second season;
If only 80% is distributed, it is multiplied by 0.8x;
This distribution must be completed before the end of the second season.
💰 Revenue Score
The first season ignored transaction fees while focusing on TVL. The second season introduces a revenue score metric to reward applications that generate actual fees.
Only transaction fees from whitelisted assets are counted;
Higher income indicates stronger product-market fit and real value to the network, resulting in higher rewards;
Encourages incentive mechanisms to shift towards real usage.
⚖️ Category Weighting
Adjusted weight multipliers for different application categories to more accurately reflect their value contribution to the ecosystem.
📊 Second Season Gems Allocation Formula
Each application's Gems share will be calculated using the new formula.
🎮 Game Gems maintains its original structure and is not affected by changes.
First Season Review
The first season launched with the Sonic mainnet on December 18, 2024, aimed at driving early adoption. Users could earn points by holding whitelisted assets (passively) or deploying assets in DeFi (actively). Applications competed primarily based on TVL for Gems.
Throughout the season, Sonic attracted hundreds of thousands of users, with 100,000 active users, laying the groundwork for the second season's sustainable development reward mechanism. The first season will end on June 18, 2025, with the second season immediately following.
🗓️ Claim Timeline
The claim portal will open a few weeks after June 18 for auditing and removing bots and Sybil attackers.
💧 User Claim Mechanism
25% of rewards can be immediately claimed as S;
Remaining 75% will be minted as a tradable Non-Fungible Token, linearly released over 270 days;
This Non-Fungible Token can be traded on Paintswap's secondary market;
Users who choose to claim the locked portion early will trigger a destruction penalty;
Non-Fungible Token is valid for 6 months, with destruction if not claimed within that period.
💎 Application Claim Mechanism
50% of S obtained by applications can be immediately claimed;
Remaining 50% will be linearly released over 3 months;
If an application's Gems were previously tokenized, Sonic will provide a centralized frontend for user claims;
Users have 3 months to claim, otherwise rewards will be destroyed.
🎮 Arcade and Shard Users
Users participating in Sonic Arcade and holding Shards will claim all rewards according to the same 25% liquid + 75% locked rules.
Summary
The second season marks Sonic's transition from the "growth phase" to the "sustainable development phase".
Users will be rewarded for long-term commitment, not short-term speculation;
Applications will be incentivized for real economic contributions, not inflated TVL;
The loyalty multiplier will encourage continuous activity, with on-chain behavior more important than ever.
This is a smarter, more coordinated system designed for those prepared to accompany Sonic long-term.
💡 Reminder: Once the second season begins, your points on MySonic will be reset, but first season data will be safely preserved and used to calculate your loyalty multiplier.
