YOAKE entertainment, Inc. is pleased to announce that it will collaborate with Startale Group Pte. Ltd. to develop next-generation entertainment that connects fans and artists using ‘YOAKE Tokens’ (hereafter referred to as $YOAKE). This coin will be issued by BOBG PTE. LTD. on the Soneium blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs Pte. Ltd., and is a joint venture between Sony Group Inc. and STARTALE, Inc. to build new relationships between fans and artists. 

■About the Collaboration

During the 2020s, the rise of social networking and streaming services is accelerating the global digital shift in the entertainment market. Fans’ access to artists’ digital content has increased dramatically, creating a market that transcends national borders. We are currently running the next-generation men’s group audition, ‘MEN’S YOAKE AUDITION 2024,’ along with the largest idol and fashion festival in Japan, ‘CREATEs presents IDOL RUNWAY COLLECTION 2025 Supported by TGC,’ both utilizing blockchain technology.

In this collaboration, STARTALE will provide Web3 infrastructure technology, including account abstraction for Startale Cloud Services, and will leverage its global Web3 business development experience to design a sustainable token economy for “$YOAKE.” We are responsible for developing effective go-to-market strategies. Through our collaboration with STARTALE, we will combine entertainment and blockchain technology to provide existing users with an intuitive user experience that does not feel like a complex blockchain experience.

BOBG will also be responsible for the issuance and operation of $YOAKE on Soneium, a blockchain provided by Sony Group, and will provide support in listing and liquidity on global crypto asset exchanges. We aim to produce a new fan experience using $YOAKE and to introduce entertaining content from Japan to the world.

*Startale Cloud Services, an infrastructure for Web3 application developers: https://startale.com/ja/scs

*What is the Soneium blockchain?
An Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Sony Group Inc. and STARTALE, a company whose CEO is Sota Watanabe, a Web3 entrepreneur and a member of our board.

■What the Next-Generation Entertainment Platform Aims to Achieve

Our next-generation entertainment platform, $YOAKE, aims to transform the connection between artists and fans and to create a world where everyone can freely enjoy entertainment beyond borders, cultures, and economic frameworks. We will add new value to the daily activities of artists and fans, build a way to respond to their wishes and create a global fan community that transcends national borders.

In order to realize this initiative, we have established a system that brings together companies representing the Japanese entertainment industry. ASOBISYSTEM (Representative Director: Yusuke Nakagawa / Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) and TWIN PLANET (Representative Director: Kenji Yajima / Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) both bring their comprehensive know-how of artist development, production, and management to the team. Additionally, W TOKYO (Representative Director: Noriyoshi Murakami / Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), which has become one of the largest platforms in Japan, is connected with large-scale events such as “IDOL RUNWAY COLLECTION Supported by TGC” with the cooperation of Tokyo Girls Collection.

■Special Voting Campaign Underway at IRC2025

Two special voting projects utilizing the Soneium blockchain are underway, only possible because of ‘IDOL RUNWAY COLLECTION Supported by TGC.’

1. The “Favorite Setlist Selection” Project
This voting project allows fans to choose their favorite song from among the songs performed by the artists. The song selected by fan votes will be performed live at IRC2025. We welcome fans to vote for the song they most want to see and hear on stage.

2. Best Idol Dresser Award Project
This is a special project to determine the most fashionable idols who will represent 2025 among the active female idols in Japan. As a project by IRC2025, which embodies the fusion of fashion and idol culture, we welcome fans to participate by voting to determine the fashion icon of the new era.

<How to Participate>
1. Access YOAKE SPACE (https://yoake-space.jp/)
2. Register as a member and vote on the corresponding page for each project. *1 vote per day per person

For both projects, the voting process will be updated daily and the final results will be announced on the day of the event.

IRC2025 Official Site: https://idolrunwaycollection.jp/

■Future Developments

The Soneium will serve as the issuance platform for $YOAKE and the business will be expanded as a central project of the global Web3 ecosystem. To promote this initiative, we will work with two leading figures in the entertainment industry: Yasushi Akimoto, who has made numerous achievements and remains at the forefront of the entertainment industry, and Sota Watanabe, the founder of Astar Network, Japan’s first public blockchain in the web3 industry and CEO of STARTALE, Inc. Together with these two leading experts, we will provide the world with entertainment content from Japan that transcends conventional boundaries as an entertainment platform.

More details information regarding the token allocation and lock-up schedule will be announced as soon as the details are finalized. Details of the new experiences being developed on the platform will also be announced as each project progresses. We look forward to your continued support of this project.

Learn more about YOAKE entertainment here