Jordan Fish, widely recognized in the crypto world as Cobie, has taken a bold step forward in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. The renowned crypto trader and angel investor has officially launched Sonar, a new initial coin offering (ICO) platform under his investment arm Echo. With Sonar now live, its inaugural token sale is spotlighting Plasma—a blockchain purpose-built for the stablecoin economy, aiming to raise $50 million in its first public offering.
- Plasma is a new blockchain designed exclusively for stablecoins, targeting a $50 million ICO raise.
- The XPL token is central to Plasma’s ecosystem, securing consensus and enabling zero-fee transactions.
- The project aims to scale the stablecoin economy with integrations into major DeFi protocols like Aave, Curve, and Maker.
This launch marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of stablecoin infrastructure, combining Cobie’s influence with a technically ambitious project backed by heavyweight investors.
The XPL Token Sale: Structure and Access
Plasma’s fundraising strategy centers around the XPL token, which plays a critical role in network security, transaction validation, and ecosystem governance. The token sale offers 1 billion XPL tokens, representing 10% of the total 10 billion token supply. Each token is priced at $0.05**, setting the project’s pre-sale valuation at **$500 million—a figure that aligns with the recent investment valuation set by Founders Fund.
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The sale process is structured in phases:
- Pre-deposits open on June 9, allowing interested participants to lock up stablecoins in a Plasma vault on Ethereum.
- Accepted stablecoins include USDT, USDC, and USDS (formerly DAI).
- Participants earn allocation priority based on the duration their funds remain deposited.
- The main sale follows several weeks after pre-deposits begin.
- Upon closure of deposits, allocations are finalized and locked until Plasma’s mainnet beta launch.
Geographic restrictions apply: investors from the UK and sanctioned regions are excluded. U.S.-based participants face a 12-month lockup on their tokens, while most others encounter a shorter 40-day vesting period. This tiered approach balances regulatory compliance with broad global access.
Plasma: A Dedicated Stablecoin Blockchain
Plasma isn’t just another Layer 1 blockchain—it’s engineered from the ground up to serve as a high-efficiency network for stablecoins. Think of it as a dedicated highway for digital dollars, euros, and other pegged assets, eliminating the congestion and high fees common on general-purpose chains.
Key technical features include:
- Bitcoin sidechain integration: Plasma operates as a sidechain to Bitcoin, leveraging its security while enabling faster, scalable transactions.
- Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility: Developers can deploy Ethereum-based smart contracts seamlessly, lowering the barrier to entry for DeFi builders.
- PlasmaBFT consensus: A custom Byzantine Fault Tolerant mechanism secured by XPL staking.
- Trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge: Enables secure asset transfers between Bitcoin and Plasma without centralized intermediaries.
The network is currently in a private testnet phase, with a public testnet expected within weeks. The full mainnet launch is targeted for late summer 2025, signaling a rapid development timeline.
Funding Backing and Ecosystem Growth
Plasma’s journey to launch has been fueled by strong institutional support. Prior to the ICO, the project raised $24 million in private funding from notable figures and organizations:
- Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and early Facebook investor
- Cobie (Jordan Fish), via Echo
- Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether
- Exchanges including Bitfinex and Bybit
Additionally, Founders Fund recently participated in a hybrid investment round involving both equity and token warrants, using a $500 million valuation that matches the ICO’s implied market cap.
With 25 core team members today, Plasma plans to aggressively expand its workforce post-ICO. Funds raised will be allocated toward:
- Hiring top-tier engineers and business development leads
- Building regional infrastructure in key financial hubs
- Strengthening partnerships with institutional players
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Vision: Powering the Stablecoin Economy at Scale
Plasma’s mission goes beyond launching a new chain—it aims to become the backbone of the global stablecoin economy. Its roadmap includes:
- Zero-fee USDT transfers: Eliminating transaction costs for one of the most widely used stablecoins.
Deep DeFi integrations: Partnerships confirmed with leading protocols such as:
- Ethena
- Aave
- Morpho
- Curve
- MakerDAO
- Global payment infrastructure: Collaborations with payment-focused providers to enable real-world adoption.
- Institutional and peer-to-peer networks: Regional pilots with financial institutions and physical P2P exchange operators.
By focusing exclusively on stablecoins, Plasma avoids the scalability compromises of multi-purpose blockchains. Its optimized architecture promises faster finality, lower latency, and reduced operational costs—critical advantages for high-volume transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is Sonar, and who is behind it?
A: Sonar is a new ICO platform launched by Jordan Fish (Cobie) under his angel investing firm Echo. It enables curated token sales, starting with Plasma’s $50M offering.
Q: How can I participate in the XPL token sale?
A: You must deposit eligible stablecoins (USDT, USDC, USDS) into a Plasma vault on Ethereum during the pre-deposit phase starting June 9. Your allocation depends on deposit size and duration.
Q: Are U.S. investors allowed to join?
A: Yes, but U.S. participants face a 12-month lockup on their XPL tokens. Investors from most other countries have a 40-day vesting period.
Q: What is the role of the XPL token?
A: XPL secures the network via PlasmaBFT consensus, powers EVM execution, and supports cross-chain bridging. It is essential for staking and governance.
Q: When will Plasma’s mainnet go live?
A: The public testnet launches soon, with mainnet beta expected by late summer 2025.
Q: Why build a blockchain just for stablecoins?
A: Stablecoins have unique transaction patterns—high volume, low value fluctuation. A dedicated chain optimizes for speed, cost, and security, unlike general-purpose blockchains.
Final Thoughts
Cobie’s launch of Sonar and the debut offering for Plasma represent more than just another crypto fundraising event—they signal a shift toward specialized infrastructure in Web3. As stablecoins become central to global digital payments and DeFi operations, purpose-built networks like Plasma could redefine efficiency and accessibility.
With strong backing, clear technical direction, and a bold vision to eliminate fees and boost interoperability, Plasma is positioning itself as a foundational layer for the next era of finance.
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