Somnia’s Blockchain For Entertainment—and Why We’re In

Everstake has joined the testnet of Somnia—a new Layer 1 blockchain designed to support the scale and complexity of real-time gaming and entertainment. With lightning-fast throughput, EVM compatibility, and omnichain architecture, Somnia is built to serve as the infrastructure layer for Web3 gaming, SocialFi, and other data-heavy use-cases.

This article outlines the core technologies behind the network and why we’re supporting its early development.

What Is Somnia?

Somnia is an EVM-compatible blockchain and a suite of omnichain protocols that serve as the foundational infrastructure for gaming and entertainment in Web3. It was launched in 2024 by the Virtual Society Foundation (VSF), an independent organization initiated by British tech company Improbable.

Somnia is optimized for high-performance applications. It can process over 1 million transactions per second (TPS) with sub-second finality, which makes it exceptionally suited for real-time gaming and entertainment. ​

Core Use Cases

Somnia’s high-performance blockchain unlocks a new class of on-chain applications, from DeFi to real-time gaming. By bringing not just assets but also game logic and metadata fully on-chain, developers can create modular, composable systems. This enables use cases like gaming prediction markets and accelerates game development at scale. In DeFi, Somnia’s capabilities allow for the creation of on-chain limit order books that radically improve the trading experience, eliminating slippage and reducing MEV.

Technical Innovations

• MultiStream Consensus: Somnia uses a novel consensus mechanism where data production is separated from the consensus process so that validators can produce blocks independently.​
• Compiled Bytecode: EVM bytecode is compiled into native code. Thanks to this optimization, execution speeds can approach hand-written contracts in C++.
• ICEdb: Somnia has a custom-built database that lowers the read and write latency to 70-100 nanoseconds. 

Benefits of the Somnia Network

• Somnia can process over 1 million transactions per second and offers sub-second finality.
• Thanks to the blockchain’s architecture, transaction fees are lower than one cent, even during peak traffic times.
• Somnia is EVM-compatible so that developers can use Ethereum-based applications on its network.
• Omnichain protocols in Somnia support asset and data transmission between different blockchains.

With these breakthroughs and capabilities, Somnia can become a powerhouse for creating games and applications on a grander scale, making real-time interactions affordable while enabling complex game logic. Aside from that, Somnia supports user ownership of content and can be extremely beneficial for high-performance DeFi apps.

Conclusion

Somnia isn’t just promising scale—it’s delivering the performance and interoperability that next-gen applications need. By validating its testnet, Everstake is putting real infrastructure behind that vision: pressure-testing the network, supporting early builders, and helping ensure it can handle everything from complex game logic to real-time digital economies. 

We’re here to help shape what comes next, not just watch it happen.

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Everstake is a software platform that provides infrastructure tools and resources for users but does not offer investment advice or investment opportunities, manage funds, facilitate collective investment schemes, provide financial services, or take custody of, or otherwise hold or manage, customer assets. Everstake does not conduct any independent diligence on or substantive review of any blockchain asset, digital currency, cryptocurrency, or associated funds. Everstake’s provision of technology services allowing a user to stake digital assets is not an endorsement or a recommendation of any digital assets by it. Users are fully and solely responsible for evaluating whether to stake digital assets.