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If you’re building on Somnia Network using Thirdweb, there’s a small but powerful update you might’ve missed:

somniaTestnet is now officially available as a native import from thirdweb/chains.

That means:

No more defining the chain manually using defineChain() just import, plug, and go.

This update not only simplifies development but also signals something much bigger Somnia is becoming part of the Web3 dev mainstream.

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Background: Working with Somnia on Thirdweb Before

Let’s be honest integrating custom EVM chains into Thirdweb used to be a bit of a chore.

Before this update, developers needed to define Somnia’s configuration manually like this:

import { defineChain } from "@thirdweb-dev/chains";

const somniaTestnet = defineChain({
id: 50312,
name: "Somnia Testnet",
nativeCurrency: {
name: "Somnia Testnet",
symbol: "STT",
decimals: 18,
},
rpcUrls: {
default: {
http: ["https://dream-rpc.somnia.network"],
},
},
blockExplorers: {
default: {
name: "Shannon Explorer",
url: "http://shannon-explorer.somnia.network",
},
},
});

This worked fine, but:

• It added repetitive boilerplate to every project
• It had to be maintained manually
• It was easy to break across teams or environments

— -

The New Native Import

Now that Thirdweb has added Somnia as a supported chain, all of that manual config becomes unnecessary. You can simply:

import { somniaTestnet } from "thirdweb/chains";

And then pass somniaTestnet directly to your SDK or hooks.

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Example: Clean SDK Initialization

Here’s how your updated Thirdweb setup might look now:

import { ThirdwebSDK } from "@thirdweb-dev/sdk";
import { somniaTestnet } from "thirdweb/chains";
const sdk = new ThirdwebSDK(somniaTestnet);
const contract = await sdk.getContract("0xYourContractAddress");

No more manual chain objects.

No need to remember RPC URLs or explorer links.

Just import what’s already configured and let Thirdweb handle the rest.

— -

Why This Update Matters (Beyond Just Convenience)

This might seem like a minor improvement, but it carries serious implications for the developer experience and the growth of Somnia as a network.

Here’s why:

• mFaster setup: Great for hackathons, rapid prototyping, or onboarding new devs
• Consistency: No risk of misconfigured RPCs or mismatched chain IDs
• Future-proofing: Updates to Somnia’s network will now be reflected directly via Thirdweb
• Ecosystem signal: Thirdweb’s native integration means they see long-term value in Somnia

— -

About Somnia Network (for the uninitiated)

Somnia is a Layer 1 blockchain focused on real-time, high-throughput use cases especially for Web3 gaming, AI-driven NPCs, metaverse platforms, and other virtual social ecosystems.

Key features include:

• 1M+ transactions per second on testnet
• Extremely low gas fees (near-zero)
• Real-time streaming support
• Built for composable virtual experiences

With support from platforms like Thirdweb and infrastructure giants like Google Cloud, Somnia is positioning itself to onboard the next generation of developers and users.

— -

Sometimes, the best updates aren’t flashy they just remove friction.

By including Somnia as a native chain, Thirdweb just made it easier to build, test, and deploy on one of the most forward-thinking Layer 1 networks in the space.

So if you’ve been curious about Somnia or already working on it now’s a good time to start (or restart) building.

Links: Website | X (Twitter) | Join Quest

Somnia is Now Natively Supported in Thirdweb Here’s Why That Matters was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.