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- IRC uses Soneium’s IPFi infrastructure to measure and reward fan activity, issuing an “IRC Score” in the mobile app.
- These scores translate into membership tiers that offer real benefits.
Technology giant Sony is advancing Web3 implementation in Asia, with its layer 2 blockchain platform Soneium recently partnering with IRC APP, Japan’s largest idol and fashion festival app. IRC will therefore become part of Soneium’s AI-powered IPFi infrastructure to increase global fan engagement.
Idol Runway Collection (IRC), Japan’s largest idol and fashion hybrid festival, has partnered with Sony’s Soneium blockchain for an on-chain fan engagement model. Through this collaboration, IRC hopes to transform the way brands engage with audiences around the world.
Additionally, the platform leverages Sony’s IPFi infrastructure to measure and reward fan participation. IRC has successfully tested this approach within the Asian entertainment industry. The company hopes to replicate the same success in Western countries.
During the 2025 event, IRC attracted approximately 11,800 participants and 107 idol groups. To make this effort successful, the company uses an IRC mobile app that uses AI to evaluate fan activity on various social media platforms.
Fans earn an “IRC score” for active engagement. The company will then automatically distribute them to fans’ wallets without any gas fees. These scores are later converted into membership tiers such as Regular, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Users can use these points at upcoming IRC events to receive benefits such as early ticket access, priority admission, and invitations to premium venues. The system will also allow on-chain fan voting to influence aspects of the 2026 event.
Now, IRC plans to extend this measurable fandom model beyond idol culture through a partnership with Sony’s Soneium. The platform said it will explore broader creative categories such as fashion and anime, along with the world’s second-largest music market. The official announcement states:
“Leveraging Soneium’s infrastructure, the IRC APP creates a seamless bridge between day-to-day fandom activities and real-world impact in IRC. The IRC APP leverages account abstraction (AA) to make the experience immediately accessible to users new to blockchain applications, while providing unprecedented fandom influence.”
Earlier this year, Sony launched its layer-2 blockchain network Soneium in January 2025, and quickly gained backing from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Additionally, Soneium is collaborating with DeFi market players like Uniswap for faster market expansion.
Asia’s entertainment industry is undergoing major changes
Asia’s entertainment industry is undergoing major changes. Prominent players in the field from Japan, South Korea, and China are currently working on various Web3 projects.
Sony’s Soneium infrastructure supports high-volume applications. Scalable Layer 2 infrastructure supports voting, reward distribution, and community participation. Market experts believe Soneium’s success will depend on entertainment companies being able to build effective participation models on top of this infrastructure.
