Latest Ice Open Network News: Online+ Public Launch Draws Near

With its focus on decentralizing the Internet, Ice Open Network (ION) is edging ever closer to the launch of its flagship decentralized social media application, Online+. Most recently, the Layer 1 blockchain platform shared critical updates, including a new partnership, a comprehensive Online+ Beta Bulletin, and insights into $ION staking. 

These developments signal that Online+ is nearing its public release. Like every other ION roundup, today's explores these updates in detail, with the primary focus on the latest Online+ Beta Bulletin, to provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s progress.

Strategic Partnership with Uphold Bolsters Ice Open Network

Ice Open Network announced a landmark partnership with Uphold on July 1st, a leading digital finance platform that manages over $7 billion in assets and serves more than 10 million users worldwide. The collaboration represents a significant milestone for ION’s ecosystem. Uphold, known for processing over $53 trillion in transactions, brings credibility and scale to the partnership, potentially expanding ION’s reach in the digital finance sector.

This partnership aligns with ION’s mission to create a user-owned Internet, leveraging blockchain technology to empower communities and creators. While specific details of the collaboration were not fully disclosed in the announcement, the involvement of a major player like Uphold suggests enhanced infrastructure or financial integration for the ION blockchain infrastructure, possibly facilitating seamless transactions or user onboarding for Online+.

Online+ Beta Bulletin: New Features and Launch Preparations

The most detailed update was released on June 30, with the publication of the latest Online+ Beta Bulletin, authored by ION’s Product Lead, Yuliia. The bulletin outlined significant feature updates, bug fixes, and the team’s focus on tech updates as they approach the public launch.

Yuliia emphasized the shift in focus, stating, “At the moment we are more focused on tech updates and optimizations rather than features – this is a good sign the launch is just around the corner.”

 Key Feature Updates:

- 60-Second Video Stories: Story videos are now capped at 60 seconds to ensure concise, engaging content.

- Verified-Only Comments: A new feature restricts comments to verified users, enhancing security and interaction quality.

- Feed Performance Gains: Improved opacity and media clipping deliver a smoother visual experience.

- Chat and UI Upgrades: User delegation and profile badges now sync to the local profile database, while translations for push notifications and paste permissions have been refined.

- App-Wide Optimizations: Upgrades to Flutter code generation and the app’s overall framework improve performance and stability.

 Bug Fixes for a Seamless Experience:

- Authentication: Fixed login errors caused by null check operators and registration exceptions.

- Wallet: Resolved issues with disappearing tokens, unresponsive search bars, and field order in the Send Coins flow.

- Chat: Corrected disappearing conversations, blurry images, and issues with story reactions and voice message replies.

- Feed: Fixed autoscroll issues, blacked-out stories, and inaccurate like counts to ensure a consistent user experience.

- Profile: Addressed bugs related to post deletion and avatar rendering.

New Infrastructure Partner: SFT Protocol Joins Online+

The Beta Bulletin also announced a new infrastructure partner, SFT Protocol, which is pioneering Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN). 

“SFT Protocol is pioneering the next generation of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) — uniting compute, storage, and content delivery into one powerful, AI-ready layer for Web3,” the bulletin read. 

With integrations across Solana, BSC, and Filecoin, SFT enhances Online+’s capabilities, enabling creators and communities to build decentralized social hubs.

The publication further noted that over 1,000 creators and more than 100 projects have joined the waitlist to launch dApps and social hubs on Online+, signaling strong community interest. This development positions Online+ as a hub for decentralized social media innovation, attracting DAOs, meme communities, and Web3 startups.

Online+ Launch Date: What We Know

On June 29, 2025, an announcement confirmed that Online+ is “launching soon,” signaling that the app’s release is imminent. An earlier update on June 26 noted that the final version of Online+ had been submitted to app stores, incorporating feature upgrades and new partnerships. 

These updates collectively paint a picture of a project in its final stages, with app store submissions and partnerships signaling readiness for public rollout. On June 27, 2025, the Ice Open Network shared the “final installment” of the ION Economy Deep-Dive Series, focusing on $ION staking. 

Given that this is the final iteration of the educational series, it can only mean that the Online+ launch will be announced sooner than expected. In the meantime, there is no date for the public release yet, but BSCN will be on hand to update users when ION reveals the public launch details. 

Preparing for Launch

The bulletin highlighted the team’s “last-minute mode,” with efforts centered on early registration, final Feed optimizations, and roadmap finalization. Yuliia captured the team’s momentum: “There’s also a psychological factor kicking in — that sharpened focus you get just before the finish line, when everything starts to click. The team is in sync, momentum is high, and every fix and tweak gets us one step closer to opening the gates.” 

Moving forward, the team will focus less on launching new features and instead continue refining the Online+ product ahead of its imminent release. As Yuliia confirmed, the latest shift means that the launch is close. 

“We’ve entered a new phase of development — one that’s less about launching new features and more about refining what we’ve built. And that shift is a great sign: it means launch is close,” Yuliia added. 

Looking Ahead: The Future of Online+

The Beta Bulletin outlined the week ahead, emphasizing precision in tech optimizations and early registrations. With the app now stable and partnerships in place, ION is poised to launch a platform that could challenge centralized social media giants.

As the decentralized web gains traction, Online+’s focus on user control, community-driven development, and robust infrastructure makes it a promising product in the blockchain and SocialFi industry. The partnership with SFT Protocol and the waitlist of over 1,000 creators indicate strong market interest, while Uphold's involvement adds financial credibility. For users and investors alike, Ice Open Network’s progress is worth watching as Online+ approaches its public debut.

For more information on Ice Open Network and Online+, visit the official Ice Open Network X Account or check out our dedicated ION page for everything related to the blockchain platform.