In 2026, modular blockchains have evolved from a theoretical concept to the industry’s dominant architecture. According to L2BEAT, there are now over 50 major rollup networks, with total value locked (TVL) surpassing $4.5 billion. In this landscape, the execution layer has become the core battleground—whoever can deliver higher throughput and lower latency execution environments will hold the gateway to the modular ecosystem.
SOON Network (Solana Optimistic Network) stands out as a representative project in this space. Its core logic is straightforward: decouple the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) from Solana’s consensus layer, turning it into an independent execution engine that can be deployed atop Ethereum, Bitcoin, TON, and other base chains. This technical path became possible after Anza released the SVM API in July 2024, and SOON is the first protocol to systematically build on this official decoupling interface.
This article will start by exploring the evolution of modular blockchains, then break down SOON’s technical architecture, core product suite, and market performance. We’ll also examine SOON’s positioning and value within the competitive modular landscape of 2026.
Modular Blockchains: The Inevitable Shift from "Monolithic" to "Layered and Decoupled"
To understand SOON’s value, you first need to grasp the foundational logic of modular blockchains.
Traditional blockchains use a "monolithic" design—execution, consensus, and data storage are all handled by the same set of nodes on a single layer. While this approach is simple, it comes with significant trade-offs: as network load increases, execution tasks compete for consensus resources, and growing storage needs slow down state synchronization. The end result is reduced throughput and soaring gas fees. Ethereum’s congestion during the 2020–2021 DeFi boom is a textbook example of this structural bottleneck.
Modular architecture addresses this by splitting these functions into separate layers: the execution layer handles transaction logic and state computation, the data availability layer stores transaction data, and the settlement layer ensures finality and security. Each layer can be independently optimized, swapped, or scaled, unlocking the execution layer’s performance potential without sacrificing security.
By 2026, this layered approach has become industry consensus. Modular architecture, together with ZK-Rollups, forms the twin pillars of Layer 2 scaling. SOON’s focus is on the most critical part of the modular stack—the execution layer.
SOON’s Technical Core: Decoupling SVM and the Three-Product Suite
SOON’s value proposition can be summed up simply: bring Solana’s execution power to any blockchain.
The SVM’s core strengths are its parallel processing capability (the Sealevel runtime) and its local fee market mechanism. Unlike Ethereum’s EVM, which processes transactions sequentially, SVM can handle multiple non-conflicting transactions at once, dramatically increasing throughput. However, before SOON, SVM was locked inside Solana’s monolithic architecture—developers wanting to use SVM had to adopt Solana’s entire tech stack.
SOON breaks this limitation through a series of technical innovations:
Separation of Execution, Settlement, and Data Layers: SVM handles execution, processing transactions and smart contract logic; the settlement layer (such as Ethereum) ensures finality; and the data availability layer stores transaction data. This separation allows each module to be optimized independently, freeing the execution layer from the performance bottlenecks of the base chain.
Merkleized State Management: Native SVM doesn’t use Merkle trees for state management—this isn’t necessary for a monolithic L1 controlling its own consensus. But for rollups settling on another chain, provable state is essential. SOON implements a Merkle Patricia Tree (MPT) within SVM, enabling state root verification, inclusion proofs, and stateless execution.
Building on this foundation, SOON offers three core products:
SOON Mainnet: A Layer 2 network using Ethereum as its settlement layer, serving as the flagship example of SOON’s execution layer. Public data shows SOON Mainnet achieves average block times of 50 milliseconds and testnet throughput of up to 30,000 TPS. For comparison, Solana’s mainnet block time is 400 milliseconds—SOON delivers faster execution on Ethereum than on Solana itself.
SOON Stack: A modular rollup framework based on OP Stack, replacing the execution engine with decoupled SVM. Developers can use SOON Stack to deploy SVM rollups on any Layer 1 (Ethereum, Bitcoin, Cosmos, etc.). Essentially, SOON Stack is a "Rollup-as-a-Service" (RaaS) platform, standardizing the chain deployment process and significantly lowering the barrier to launching SVM rollups.
InterSOON: An interchain communication protocol based on Hyperlane, handling state synchronization and asset transfers between rollups and main chains. InterSOON enables multiple execution layer instances within the SOON ecosystem to share liquidity and state, addressing the common fragmentation problem in modular architectures.
Funding Background and Market Performance
SOON has taken a unique approach to fundraising. Rather than relying on traditional venture capital, it raised funds through a "Co-Builder" round targeting builders. Investors include Solana Labs co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana Foundation president Lily Liu, Celestia co-founder Mustafa Al-Bassam, and Coinbase Ventures head Jonathan King. In early 2025, SOON also raised $22 million through NFT sales.
As of July 28, 2026, Gate market data shows the following for the SOON token:
- Price: $0.23920
- 24h Change: +22.43%
- 7d Change: +28.45%
- 30d Change: +21.78%
- 1y Change: +42.35%
- Market Cap: $47.07 million
- Rank: #460
- 24h Trading Volume: $2.05 million
- Total Supply: 1 billion tokens
- Market Sentiment: Neutral
Looking at the price trend, SOON bottomed at $0.15299 on July 20, consolidated for about six days, then surged to a high of $0.22422 on July 26 with strong volume. The 28.45% gain over the past week indicates strong short-term momentum, but the 42.35% annual gain is moderate compared to many Layer 2 projects over the same period. With a market cap under $50 million, SOON remains in the early growth stage of the modular rollup sector.
SOON’s Position in the Modular Competitive Landscape
To assess SOON’s long-term value, it’s important to place it within the competitive landscape of modular blockchains in 2026.
Differentiation from EVM Rollups: Most current rollups (such as Arbitrum, Optimism, Base) are based on the EVM execution environment. EVM’s strengths are ecosystem compatibility and a large developer base, but its sequential processing model imposes a natural throughput ceiling. SOON’s SVM execution environment offers a differentiated path, with parallel processing as its core advantage—targeting high-throughput use cases like high-frequency DeFi, on-chain gaming, and AI agent interactions.
Relationship with Solana: SOON is not a competitor to Solana, but rather an "export channel" for SVM execution. SOON brings Solana’s technical strengths to broader settlement ecosystems like Ethereum, expanding the reach of the SVM developer community. Direct investment from Solana’s co-founder underscores this synergy.
Role in the Modular Stack: Within the modular blockchain stack, SOON focuses on the execution layer, relying on base chains like Ethereum for settlement and connecting to specialized DA solutions like Celestia for data availability. This "focus on one layer, connect to many" approach means SOON doesn’t compete for consensus security with base chains or for data storage with DA layers—it concentrates resources on optimizing execution efficiency, which is the key advantage of modular specialization.
Risks and Challenges
SOON faces risks on technical, ecosystem, and market fronts:
Technical Risks: Decoupling SVM and adapting it as a rollup execution engine involves extensive engineering—Merkleized state management, cross-chain settlement verification, and fraud proof mechanisms all need to be implemented without sacrificing SVM’s performance. Any technical flaws could impact network security or user experience. SOON must also keep pace with upstream SVM updates and maintain alignment with Solana’s core development.
Ecosystem Risks: As of 2026, SOON Mainnet is still in its Alpha phase, with dApp numbers and user base still growing. With over 50 networks in the rollup race, SOON’s ability to attract enough developers and liquidity depends on whether its performance advantages are proven in real-world applications.
Market Risks: SOON’s token market cap is still under $50 million, with limited liquidity. The 24-hour trading volume of $2.05 million means large trades could significantly impact price. Additionally, the valuation models for modular blockchain projects are still evolving, and the market has yet to fully mature in pricing execution layer projects.
Conclusion
By 2026, the modular blockchain narrative has shifted from "is it possible?" to "what’s the optimal approach?" At this stage, the execution layer—where users interact directly with on-chain applications—will determine how quickly the modular ecosystem is adopted.
SOON Network’s technical strategy—decoupling SVM from Solana and deploying it as a universal rollup execution engine—offers a scaling path distinct from the EVM route. SOON Stack lowers the barrier to SVM rollup deployment, SOON Mainnet showcases a high-performance execution environment, and InterSOON tackles the challenge of cross-chain fragmentation in modular architectures.
Of course, sound technical architecture doesn’t guarantee ecosystem success. SOON’s future—through 2026 and beyond—will depend on the stability of its mainnet, the growth of its developer community, and how the market embraces the "non-EVM execution layer" approach. For those tracking the evolution of modular blockchain infrastructure, SOON is certainly a project to watch.
FAQ
Q1: What is the relationship between SOON Network and Solana?
SOON is not a fork or competitor of Solana. Instead, it decouples the Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) from Solana’s consensus layer and deploys it as an independent execution layer network. This allows developers to leverage SVM’s high-performance execution on Ethereum, Bitcoin, and other base chains—essentially "exporting" Solana’s execution strengths to a broader blockchain ecosystem. Both Solana’s co-founder and foundation president have invested in SOON.
Q2: What are SOON’s main products?
SOON offers three core products: SOON Mainnet—a Layer 2 network on Ethereum with 50ms block times; SOON Stack—a modular rollup framework based on OP Stack, supporting SVM rollup deployment on any Layer 1; and InterSOON—a cross-chain communication protocol based on Hyperlane.
Q3: How does SOON differ from Ethereum rollups like Arbitrum and Optimism?
The main difference is the execution engine. Arbitrum and Optimism use EVM and process transactions sequentially. SOON uses a decoupled SVM, supporting parallel transaction processing. In theory, SOON offers higher throughput, though its ecosystem and developer base are not yet as mature as EVM rollups.
Q4: What is the main utility of the SOON token?
$SOON is the core token of the SOON ecosystem, used for network governance (protocol parameter voting), paying transaction fees, node staking for network security, and ecosystem incentives.
Q5: What stage is SOON Mainnet currently in?
The SOON Alpha Mainnet has launched on Ethereum. Users can bridge assets via the SOON Mainnet Bridge. The project is still in its early mainnet phase, with ecosystem applications and user base continuing to grow.
