The First 1%
The first in a series of follow-ups on what we are changing at Sonic, and the concrete steps already underway. Fantom Opera stays, new leadership introduced, accounts unblocked, and direct channels opened.
In our last update, we said we would get a little better every day and prove it in public. This is the first of those follow-ups, and there will be many more.
None of what follows is a finish line. It is the first set of concrete steps.
Fantom Opera is staying
We heard the feedback clearly, and we changed course.
Fantom Opera is not shutting down at the end of the month. It will stay live until at least the end of the year, and the bridge will be funded on a regular basis for that entire period. This decision was made in direct response to what the community told us. If anything about this changes in the future, you will hear it from us with plenty of notice.
Who we are and what we do
Going forward, the team will be open about what each of us does, across every channel where you find us. The blanket "contributor" label is going away. If someone works on Sonic, you should be able to see what they work on.
That starts at the top. Here is who is leading Sonic now, and what they bring.
Matt Visser joins Sonic Labs as Chief Executive Officer, bringing a background in product leadership, management consulting, and financial restructuring.
He is Co-Founder and strategic advisor at Squire.Law, an agentic AI legal-tech platform built around data privacy and regulatory compliance across Africa and the Middle East. Through Make Better Consulting, he led Web3 product strategy and design for global DeFi applications, and earlier delivered enterprise digital transformation and mobile app launches for major retail groups, including the Shoprite Group and TFG. As a Chief Strategy Officer, he has also led the recovery and restructuring across portfolio companies, managing multi-million-euro assets under strict governance. He also serves as Director and board member of Hyena Hydrogen Energy Applications.
At Sonic, his focus is on creating and leading the vision towards product-market fit and revenue generation.
Kosta Kourkoumelis joins Sonic Labs as Chief Operating Officer, bringing more than 20 years of experience across financial services, operations, and digital assets.
After a career in traditional finance, including senior roles with ANZ and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Kosta entered the crypto industry in 2018 and has since held leadership positions across investment management and blockchain businesses, including Token Capital Management (TCM), the firm that conducted the fundraising for the Fantom ICO. Having been exposed to the Fantom ecosystem since its inception, Kosta has longstanding relationships with Michael, David, and several team members, providing continuity and a deep understanding of the network's evolution.
At Sonic, Kosta will focus on operational excellence, governance, and scaling the organization for its next phase of growth.
As we bring on new people, we will introduce them as they join.
Community first, in actions and not just words
We said the community comes first. Here is an early, concrete step: we are beginning to unblock accounts.
Criticism is not something we run from, and you should not lose access to us simply for disagreeing with us. The line we hold is straightforward. Threats, targeted harassment, and excessive vulgarity are not welcome. Direct, even harsh, criticism is fair, and we would rather hear it than mute it.
Getting in touch
The disclosure inbox has already seen a good amount of activity since we opened it, and we are glad for it. We want to hear from partners, community members, and anyone with real interest, feedback, or concerns to share.
Our Telegram and Discord communities are already active, and the team provides support directly in both today. Those remain the fastest way to reach us right now.
On top of that, dedicated inboxes are live so different kinds of requests reach the right people and get the response they deserve:
- disclosure@soniclabs.com: sensitive concerns and anything leadership should know directly
- support@soniclabs.com: help using Sonic and technical issues
- feedback@soniclabs.com: ideas, suggestions, and criticism
- build@soniclabs.com: for developers and teams building on Sonic
We are also building a more comprehensive support ticketing system to make getting help faster and easier to track.
More ways to talk, soon
Clear communication means showing up in more than the occasional post. We are exploring new formats to talk openly and answer questions in public, which may include fireside chats, meet the team sessions, and community town halls. We will share specifics as these take shape.
On the positive side
For all the hard truths, there is real and growing interest in Sonic from builders, investors, and others. We are not going to lead with hype while we are still putting our internal processes in order. But as those processes improve, we will start sharing the positive developments openly, when we can, with the same plainness as everything else.
We as a team
This is the first of many updates like it. We are saying it as a team, and we intend to keep showing up this way: small steps, said plainly, often.
Tell us what you think, feedback@soniclabs.com.
