Sony has been looking into blockchain technology since 2016, when it applied for a patent to make its PlayStation store more secure and prevent users from game sharing content. However, Sony’s new patent application takes it away from the gaming world and towards the crypto mining side of blockchain. This could imply that Sony is going to create their own blockchain and cryptocurrency – possibly to be used across their various content outlets. Exactly how and when Sony will deploy this technology is still unknown, but its potential could be game-changing – if you pardon the pun.
Two Patents Pending
It looks as if Sony has created its very own blockchain ecosystem and is patenting the entire process. It has applied for two patents, one for an electronic node and method for maintaining a distributed ledger, and the other for a mining device and system. The first outlines its plan to create a series of nodes to keep its blockchain secure and immutable by using virtual nodes. It even outlines a plan for there to be up to 10x as many virtual nodes as physical nodes or devices on the network. The second describes a device that can access and write to this network in the form of blocks mined using a Proof of Work algorithm.
Could Be Used to Develop the PlayStation 5?
Recently Microsoft teamed up with Ernst & Young to create a blockchain payment system that efficiently delivers royalties to game developers. This will by all accounts be implemented on the next iteration of the Xbox. Sony could be following up with their existing blockchain application for the PlayStation store with this new blockchain. If Sony is worried about not having enough nodes, it could potentially turn every PS5 into a node with the software and reward users’ tokens for keeping their console on and supporting the network. These tokens could then be spent in the PlayStation store, essentially making the Sony ecosystem self-sustainable. Whatever Sony decides to use the blockchain patents for, the gaming sector will be totally changed by blockchain technology.
Turning the Entire Product Range into Nodes and Miners
Sony boasts an impressive range of products, including games consoles, high-end sound systems, TVs, and imaging equipment. If it decides to follow Canaan and turn their product range into crypto miners, Sony could become one of the largest mining pools on the planet, knocking Bitmain from its throne. Most of its devices can easily be internet enabled, and if it can perfect its mining chips, this could be a plausible option for Sony to explore.
While Sony hasn’t officially announced the true purpose for these new patents, they are fairly self-explanatory. Sony is going to create its own blockchain, as it obviously believes that blockchain technology is the future. We are waiting with baited breath to see exactly how Sony will implement its new blockchain solution, as it’s likely to have world-changing implications.
