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- IRC will use Soneium’s IPFi infrastructure to measure and reward fan activity, issuing “IRC Scores” with its mobile app.
- It will convert these scores into membership tiers that provide real-world benefits.
Tech giant Sony is moving ahead with Web3 adoption in Asia as its Layer-2 blockchain platform Soneium recently partnered with IRC APP, the largest idol and fashion festival app in Japan. Thus, IRC will now be a part of Soneium’s AI-powered IPFi infrastructure, which will boost global fan engagement.
Idol Runway Collection (IRC), the largest idol and fashion hybrid festival of Japan, partnered with Sony’s Soneium blockchain for an on-chain fan engagement model. Through this collaboration, IRC wants to transform the way brands engage with global audiences.
Besides, the platform will leverage Sony’s IPFi infrastructure, which will allow it to measure and reward fans for their participation. IRC has successfully tested this approach within Asia’s entertainment industry. It wants to replicate the same success in Western countries as well!
During its 2025 event, IRC drew approximately 11,800 attendees and 107 idol groups. For the success of this initiative, the company is using the IRC mobile app, which uses AI to evaluate fan activity on different social media platforms.
Fans earn “IRC Scores” for their positive engagement. The company then automatically distributes them to the fan wallets without any gas fee. These scores are then later converted into membership tiers such as Regular, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Users can use these points at the next IRC events to get benefits like early ticket access, priority entry, and premium venue invitations. The system also enables on-chain fan voting to influence aspects of the 2026 event.
Now, through this partnership with Sony’s Soneium, IRC plans to extend this measurable fandom model beyond idol culture. The platform said that it will explore broader creative categories like fashion and anime, along with the world’s second-largest music market. The official announcement notes:
“Powered by Soneium’s infrastructure, the IRC APP creates a seamless bridge between everyday fandom activity and real-world impact at IRC. IRC APP leverages Account Abstraction (AA) to ensure the experience is immediately accessible to users unfamiliar with blockchain applications, while offering unprecedented fandom influence”.
Sony launched its Layer-2 blockchain network Soneium earlier this year, in January 2025, and instantly received backing from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Furthermore, Soneium has collaborated with DeFi market players like Uniswap for faster market expansion.
Asian Entertainment Industry Seeing Strong Transformation
The Asian Entertainment Industry is seeing a major change. Prominent players in this space, across Japan, South Korea, and China, are now working with different Web3 projects.
Sony’s Soneium infrastructure supports high-volume applications. Its scalable Layer-2 infrastructure supports voting, reward distribution, and community engagement. Market experts believe that the success of Soneium will depend on whether entertainment companies can build effective participation models on this infrastructure.