Sonic Labs Aims Wall Street: ETF Bid and $150M U.S. Push Signal DeFi’s Boldest Move Yet

Sonic Labs, one of DeFi’s most aggressive growth stories, has just placed a $150M bet on Wall Street. In its first governance proposal, the Sonic crypto protocol is seeking approval to launch Sonic USA, a Delaware-registered entity tasked with bridging decentralized liquidity into the heart of U.S. capital markets.

The proposal outlines three pillars: a $50M allocation toward a regulated exchange-traded product (ETP/ETF), a $100M NASDAQ private placement (PIPE), and the issuance of 150M S tokens to capitalize the new entity. Custody will run through BitGo, ensuring compliance with U.S. institutional standards.

The DeFi-to-Wall Street Gambit: Sonic Labs Joins The New Play

The ETF component is the headline. Sonic is effectively bidding to stand alongside BlackRock, Fidelity, and Grayscale in the battle for crypto exchange-traded products.

But unlike single-asset spot Bitcoin or Ethereum ETFs, Sonic proposes an ecosystem ETF, a structured vehicle that would directly track the S economy.

If approved by regulators, it would mark the first DeFi-native ETF with governance tied back to token holders.

The PIPE allocation signals an even bolder ambition: a pathway to NASDAQ listing. While still exploratory, a PIPE gives Sonic access to traditional equity investors who have historically avoided tokens but are comfortable with regulated capital raises.

This dual-track strategy suggests Sonic is preparing to raise capital and institutionalize its governance model in the eyes of public markets.

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Why Corporate Crypto Treasuries Are Watching With Interest

The timing is critical. Corporate treasurers across the U.S. have been under increasing pressure from groups like the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) to diversify reserves into Bitcoin or digital assets.

While Amazon and Microsoft have resisted direct allocations, cases like MicroStrategy’s $6.8Bn Bitcoin play and Critical Metals Corp’s $500M convertible note for BTC purchases, and recent altcoin treasury moves by the likes of Sharplink Gaming have shifted the Overton window.

For treasurers, the appeal of a Sonic ETF is obvious: regulated, liquid exposure to crypto growth without the operational burden of custody or token management.

The move could allow conservative corporates, the very players that have dismissed direct token buys as “too volatile” to allocate via familiar ETF wrappers.

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Sonic Labs Plans Are a Litmus Test for DeFi Governance

Community support has been overwhelming, with over 99.9% of votes cast in favor. But the governance vote is more than a procedural green light.

It is a referendum on whether decentralized communities are ready to play by Wall Street’s rules, compliance, filings, and fiduciary obligations, while retaining a decentralized identity.

Sonic’s successful expansion would redraw the lines between DeFi and TradFi and set a precedent.

A DeFi-native ETF trading on NASDAQ would normalize protocols as investable entities, not just speculative assets.

In the words of one investor, “If Sonic can pull this off, it stops being another token and starts being a financial institution.”

Voting closes August 31, but whatever the outcome, the move signals a new era: DeFi is no longer content circling the edges of Wall Street, it’s kicking down the door.

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The post Sonic Labs Aims Wall Street: ETF Bid and $150M U.S. Push Signal DeFi’s Boldest Move Yet appeared first on 99Bitcoins.