Ice Open Network Latest News: Key Updates on Online+ Final Release and Mainnet Launch

Ice Open Network (ION), the Layer-1 blockchain designed for scalability and user-driven decentralized applications, continues to make significant progress in its mission to redefine digital interactions. 

The past week was eventful as ION announced a series of updates, including new partnerships, a major product milestone, and technical enhancements to its flagship social media dApp, Online+. 

ION Weekly Roundup: Key Developments

This week’s updates reflect ION’s strategic focus on ecosystem expansion, product readiness, and community engagement. Below is a breakdown of the major announcements:

Strategic Partnerships Expand the Ecosystem

ION welcomed three new partners to its ecosystem, each bringing unique capabilities to enhance Online+ and the broader network:

• NodeX: A DeFi exchange focused on permissionless financial services joined the ecosystem, offering modularity, user sovereignty, and cross-chain infrastructure. This partnership strengthens ION’s decentralized finance offerings, appealing to users seeking advanced financial tools.
• GAEA: An AI-driven platform with over 150,000 users was added, enabling co-creation of a silicon-based universe powered by public data and blockchain technology. This collaboration enhances ION’s AI and data-driven capabilities, broadening its appeal.
• OpGPU: A decentralized computing provider offering AI cloud solutions with high-end GPU resources joined the network. This partnership supports AI development, positioning ION as a hub for cutting-edge technology.

These partnerships underscore ION’s commitment to integrating diverse technologies, from DeFi to AI and decentralized computing, to create a robust ecosystem.

Major Product Milestone: Online+ App Store Submission

ION recently disclosed on X the submission of the final Online+ version to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This measure marks a critical phase in the app’s journey toward public availability. 

Upon approval, the blockchain protocol plans to onboard over 1,000 verified creators and partner projects, laying the foundation for a vibrant user community. The submission aligns with ongoing technical refinements, ensuring Online+ is ready for widespread adoption.

Educational Content: ION Economy Deep-Dive

Users following ION’s progress will know about the Deep-Dive series initiative. With this in mind, the platform released Part 5 of the educational content, focusing on the mechanics of $ION creator tokens. The post explains how tokens grow and burn based on user attention and engagement, emphasizing real utility over speculation. 

The next installment will explore ION’s chain-agnostic approach, further educating users and investors. This content fosters transparency and trust, supporting ION’s community-building efforts.

Online+ Beta Bulletin: Technical Refinements

The Online+ Beta Bulletin, released on June 16, 2025, provided a detailed update on the app’s progress, authored by ION’s Product Lead, Yuliia. This section dives into the bulletin’s key points, highlighting feature updates, bug fixes, and the team’s focus on delivering a polished product.

“This past week wasn’t about big flashy features. It was about something just as important: making sure everything runs smooth, stable, and strong. We’ve hit a new phase of fine-tuning, optimizing for memory, performance, and polish across the board. The goal at this stage is simple: deliver the best possible UX from day one,” Yuliia wrote. 

The bulletin emphasized ION’s shift from feature development to optimization as Online+ approaches its public launch. Yuliia noted that the team is “refining, stabilizing, and making sure everything performs as smoothly behind the scenes as it does on screen.” With core features in place, the focus is on delivering a seamless user experience through memory optimization, performance tuning, and UI polish.

Feature Updates: Enhancing Functionality

The bulletin outlined several feature updates across Online+’s core modules:

• Auth: Replaced device linking with keypair restore functionality to streamline onboarding. Clarified text in the “Verify with passkey” modal for better usability.
• Chat: Updated the UI for the device keypair upload dialog and enabled proper restoration of chat messages after keypair recovery.
• Feed: Added support for content topics across posts, articles, videos, and stories, improving content organization. Updated the Link Device modal copy for clarity.
• Profile: Introduced flow handling for blocked and deleted users, enhancing user management.
• General: Disabled landscape mode for a consistent experience and added full German language support, with 40 more languages planned.

Bug Fixes: Ensuring Stability

Over 20 bug fixes were addressed, including:

• Auth: Fixed registration errors and a camera issue during onboarding photo capture.
• Wallet: Resolved issues with coin removal, centered the ION label, and fixed a bug where the main wallet wasn’t found. Networks in “Import Token” are now sorted alphabetically.
• Chat: Corrected duplicated or broken emojis, message delivery failures, and minor UI issues. Enabled bounce scroll for short message threads.
• Feed: Fixed video timeline scrubbing, a jumping cursor in the poll editor, and navigation errors for quote posts. Prevented media duplication during limited-access sharing.
• Profile: Enlarged the clickable area on the three-dot menu for better interaction.

The team plans to finalize Feed features and optimize the app’s infrastructure, focusing on performance and fluidity. These efforts will ensure Online+ meets user expectations upon launch.

ION’s Momentum Builds 

ION’s updates position it as a strong player in decentralized social media. The partnerships enhance Online+’s technological capabilities, while the app store submission signals readiness for mainstream adoption. By addressing technical challenges and engaging the community through educational content, ION is building a foundation for long-term success.

In a nutshell, this week’s roundup highlights the protocol’s progress toward launching a robust decentralized ecosystem, particularly with its highly anticipated social media product. As Yuliia noted, “Day one is coming!”—bringing the promise of a user-driven, decentralized social media platform.

For more information, visit ION’s X account or explore our dedicated website page for the latest updates surrounding the protocol’s developments in the blockchain industry.