Latest ION News: "We're About to Release a Beast," Says Founder

With its focus on refinements, Ice Open Network (ION) is in the “final stretch” toward launching its social media dApp, Online+, this September. As expected, the protocol has been updating users about its developments, including ecosystem enhancements and core features on the application.  As of the time of writing, ongoing efforts on the Online+ product are focused on testing across devices to handle expected high user volumes and ensure stability.

The September 8 Beta Bulletin outlines recent updates, including wallet improvements for handling failed transactions, smoother profile and chat data fetching, and enhancements to the feed. General upgrades and bug fixes were also shared as Product Lead Yuliia disclosed that the team is set to roll out a new build for beta testers this week, leading to the final round of bug polishing. 

In the meantime, the Online+ product is already built, and all features are finalized. The team is now entirely focused on perfection for a flawless release. As we anticipate the product’s launch, today’s roundup focuses on its development based on the latest Beta Bulletin. 

What’s the latest on Online+ Development Progress?

As stated above, the public launch is slated for September. Hence, ION's development team has shifted focus to the final stages before the final release. Yuliia noted that the app's core features are now locked in place. Recent work has emphasized refinements to ensure reliability under high user loads. 

Further, in a recent discussion with BSCN, ION founder and CEO Alexandru Iulian Florea disclosed that the public launch this month will be epic;

“We’re about to release a beast — the most epic launch Web3 and social media have seen. These final days are about eliminating the smallest cracks, because with millions joining from Day 1, perfection isn’t about polish for its own sake, it’s the only way to launch at this magnitude, Lulian told BSCN” 

The bulletin reports that stress testing has confirmed the app's stability in both testnet and production environments. With the product built and features finalized, the emphasis is on addressing remaining issues to achieve consistent performance. 

Key Feature Updates

ION has listed specific feature updates implemented over the past week as part of its ongoing development for the Online+ dApp.

Wallet Improvements: Developers have added logic to manage failed transactions, reducing interruptions during payments.

Feed Enhancements:

• The trending videos list received user interface improvements for better visibility and navigation.
• Story loading was made more fluid, ensuring quicker access when users open the app.
• Users can now view comments while watching videos, enhancing interaction without needing to pause playback.
• An update to the "NFT not ready" message prevents posting blocks while NFT collections are set up in the background.
• Priority content from designated accounts was introduced to highlight specific posts in user feeds.

Profile Optimizations: Profile data fetching was optimized for faster loading when accessing the tab.

General App Refinements:

• App logs were enhanced for detailed tracking of operations.
• User metadata caching was improved throughout the app to minimize redundant data requests.
• Stores now feature auto-referral mechanisms to streamline user acquisitions.
• The Banuba SDK update for Android addresses compatibility and performance in multimedia handling.
• Event request handling now includes retries with the next available relay if the initial one fails.
• Safeguards prevent erroneous metadata deletions.

These updates reflect a methodical approach to refining the dApp's functionality, ensuring it effectively handles real-world usage scenarios.

Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements

Several bug fixes aimed at eliminating common issues in the dApp:

Wallet Fixes:

• Missing payment request messages in chats were resolved.
• Old notifications no longer appear as new after reinstalling the app.
• An issue blocking PYUSD transactions on Solana has been corrected, allowing for seamless cross-chain operations.

Feed Fixes:

• The input field for stories now appears correctly when the keyboard is opened.
• A white screen glitch on the first access to trending videos has been fixed.
• The stories bar loads without freezing, improving the initial user experience.

Profile Fixes: Profile follower counts now display accurately, addressing previous discrepancies.

General Fixes:

• Push notifications now arrive for all event types, not just messages.
• Avatars in push notifications render correctly.
• The bottom menu height was adjusted for a consistent layout across devices.

These corrections have reduced the development backlog, with each fix contributing to the overall reliability of the app. The team is preparing a new build for beta testers, incorporating these changes for final validation.

Community and Partner Developments

Recent community activities include the September 3 X Space hosted by CEO Alexandru Iulian Florea and COO Robert Proteasa. Key points from the session included the onboarding of over 2,000 creators out of more than 3,000 verified, representing a combined following of over 1 billion across platforms. Waitlist onboarding is scheduled to begin soon, with email notifications sent to early registrants.

The public launch date has not yet been disclosed, but it is expected to reach millions of users on its first day. Over 100 partners have committed to building hubs on the ION Framework, with expansions planned for October that will involve governments, schools, and sports clubs.

New partnerships announced include FlipFlop, which is developing a launchpad hub on the ION Framework. FlipFlop's platform supports token launches with AI automation and community-driven growth, integrated into Online+'s social layer for transparency.

Tairon is embedding its onchain compute directory into Online+, making compute resources, servers, and data sources verifiable on-chain. This integration facilitates AI agents, automation, and multi-chain analytics within the dApp.

Additionally, on September 4, 2025, ION welcomed VentureMind AI to its ecosystem. VentureMindAI offers a decentralized platform that combines AI, robotics, and blockchain, featuring over 150 AI tools, including chatbots, task agents, and generators for images, videos, and music. It is the first AI project to deploy conversational AI agents on X for multilingual co-hosting in Spaces, enabling AI-driven content creation and automation for Online+ users.

These integrations expand ION's capabilities in decentralized social media, incorporating AI and onchain elements.

Plans for the Coming Week

The bulletin outlines immediate next steps, including rolling out a new build to beta testers for the final bug polishing round. Stabilization efforts continue for both testnet and production environments to match performance in testing with live conditions.

Waitlist onboarding is scheduled to start this week, marking the last phase before public access. This will provide early users with a preview of Online+ features, setting up for the full launch.

Conclusion

ION's preparations indicate the rollout is now in its closest phase yet, following extensive stress testing and feature finalization. The September 8 Beta Bulletin confirms that core functionalities are locked, with a new beta build scheduled to deploy this week for ultimate validation in testnet and production environments. 

Over 2,000 creators have been onboarded, partnerships with more than 100 entities building on the ION Framework have been established, and waitlist access is commencing imminently to accommodate millions of day-one users. With Lulian describing the impending release in a BSCN discussion as a "beast," the need for precision to eliminate minor issues amid the expected scale cannot be overemphasized. 

BSCN will continue to monitor the protocol’s development as it approaches the final stages of launching its highly anticipated Online+ product this month, if all goes according to plan. 

Sources

• ION Online+ Beta Bulletin: https://ice.io/the-online-beta-bulletin-september-1-7-2025 

• ION X Space: https://x.com/ice_blockchain/status/1962566016271294478 

• Beta Bulletin Announcement: https://x.com/ice_blockchain/status/1965060560321491238