ION Weekly Update: First Giveaway Completed, Online+ Monetization DeepDive, App Improvements, and Future Plans

After a promising start to November that sparked the post-launch community giveaway, Ice Open Network (ION) has continued its progress with regular updates, highlighting its long-term vision to decentralize the internet. 

The protocol released updates in mid-November 2025, featuring several initiatives, including the completion of its first post-launch community giveaway, a deep-dive series on Online+ monetization mechanics, refinements to the app's core modules, and details on planned features. 

Today’s write-up breaks down these updates, sourcing information from the Bulletin blog and X.  

Online+ Bulletin Updates

The Online+ bulletin, released on November 17, 2025, detailed development for the week of November 10 to 16, focusing on app stability, refinements, and preparation for monetization. The document noted a stable public release, with efforts on performance and user issues, leading to a pre-monetization update in the works.

Feature Updates

• Wallet Module: Displays now show only networks with user funds.
• Wallet Module: Updated "No Internet" headers for clarity.
• Chat Module: Implemented encrypted group conversation tiles and actions.
• Feed Module: Added unlimited editing time for articles.
• Feed Module: Added a backup bottom sheet.
• Feed Module: Removed reply placeholder text.
• Feed Module: Enhanced cache image management for faster loading.
• Feed Module: Included all parent posts in views.
• Feed Module: Automatic closure of soft update dialogs on "Update now" taps.
• General: Prepared a pre-monetization release with polish.
• General: Added 10 new language translations.
• General: Implemented Android soft-updates.
• General: Added Recent Topics in the Feed.

Bug Fixes

Wallet

• Addressed incorrect privacy notifications on token sends.
• Resolved NFT reception on TON.
• Fixed cursor issues in address inputs.
• Removed unnecessary loading in network dialogs.
• Fixed USDT send errors on TON to exchanges.

Chat

• Restored reaction behavior after emoji removal and re-addition.

Feed

• Fixed like counters staying at zero.
• Prevented multiple bottom sheets on post cancels.
• Resolved incorrect maintenance screens after reconnects.
• Fixed Banuba SDK video upload errors.
• Restored three-dot menus on Poco devices.

Profile

• Removed blocked users from "Following" lists.
• Restored verified badges.
• Improved followers list scrolling.
• Fixed navigation after enabling two-factor authentication (2FA).

Yuliia commented on progress toward monetization features like ads, boosts, and swaps, as well as new additions such as Delegate Access and Account Switching for shared management, describing the pace of development as dynamic, with quick iterations from suggestions to shipping.

“It’s a pretty dynamic stage we’re in. Everyone on the team is fully plugged in — we’re moving from community suggestions to development to shipping at full speed — and you can feel how quickly things are coming together. Every day something gets completed, polished, or pushed a step closer to release,” Yuliia wrote. 

The bulletin also covered ecosystem events, including crossing one million on-chain addresses in under two months post-launch, the first giveaway, and the launch of the Monetization Deep-Dive series. Speaking of giveaways, ION completed its first post-launch giveaway on November 15, 2025, distributing $ 250 in $ICE to 10 winners, each receiving $25 in their Online+ wallets. 

The promotion, announced on November 11, required liking the post, quoting with an invite link, and tagging three friends. ION plans to reward more users with another batch, following the announcement that the reward pool is worth $500. The event marked the one million on-chain address milestone, with more giveaways planned to encourage participation.

Online+ Monetization Deep-Dive Series

ION launched a Monetization Deep-Dive series that explains the monetization features users can expect in the Decentralized Application. The first three parts were released between November 14 and 16, covering ads, boosts, and swaps with bridges. Each article outlined mechanics, fee splits, and integrations with the $ION token.

Ads Feature

Ads integrate into the Online+ feed, appearing alongside regular content. Each view or interaction generates revenue, split 50/50. Half is distributed to creators based on activity, engagement, followers, and reach. The other half is used to buy back and burn $ION tokens, reducing supply. This creates a deflationary mechanism where increased usage heightens scarcity. 

Users opt out via a Premium upgrade, which still supports the cycle. Referrals yield 10% lifetime commissions from invitees' ad interactions, drawn from an ecosystem pool without affecting creators' shares. 

The feature ties into the ION dApp Framework, chain-agnostic across over 20 blockchains, where other apps can adopt similar ads, with half burning their token and half supporting ION.

Boosting Posts

Users boost posts by tapping an icon and paying in USD via Apple Pay or Google Pay, which is converted to $ION. Again, fees are split 50/50. The first half to the creator and the second half for $ION buyback-and-burn. 

Boosts enhance visibility in the feed, driven by community choices rather than algorithms. Referrers earn 10% of the boost reward generated by invitees, sourced from the ecosystem pool. 

Swaps and Bridges

Swaps enable asset exchanges across 27+ chains directly in the Online+ wallet, while bridges facilitate transfers between ION and 20+ networks like Ethereum, Arbitrum, BSC, and Solana. 

Transactions use ION smart contracts, keeping assets user-controlled. A small fee applies, split 50/50: half for $ION buyback-and-burn, and half to an ecosystem pool that rewards creators and active users. 

With this, ION plans to embed DeFi into social interactions, scaling the deflationary loop through frequent activity. 

As stated earlier, the series prepares users for the monetization release, with three more parts expected soon, precisely on Friday, November 21, according to the Online+ Bulletin. 

Upcoming Developments in ION and Online+

ION's roadmap includes Tokenized Communities for custom token issuance and governance, Encrypted Groups for end-to-end encrypted messaging, Delegate Access for shared account management, and Account Switching for multi-account handling. 

The pre-monetization release, due the week of November 17, features 10 new languages, Android in-app updates, Recent Topics, and module refinements. A full monetization version follows, incorporating ads, boosts, swaps, and tokenized elements. 

In the long run, the protocol plans to release a no-code dApp builder that enables the creation of custom platforms across different sectors without coding.

Conclusion

ION's recent activities reflect its ability to refine Online+ while integrating monetization. The completed giveaway, deep-dive series, and app fixes enhance usability as the network exceeds one million addresses. 

These steps affirm the blockchain platform’s role as a scalable layer-1 for decentralized social and financial tools, providing user-controlled experiences via smart contracts and cross-chain support. As ION continues to develop, BSCN will continue to follow its progress in the crypto and DeFi space. 

Refer to our dedicated ION portal to learn more about the protocol’s latest innovations and useful resources. 

Sources:

• Online+ Bulletin (November 10-16): https://ice.io/the-online-bulletin-november-10-november-16-2025 
• ION Deep-Dive Part 1: https://ice.io/ads-that-pay-you-back-the-future-of-attention 
• ION Deep-Dive Part 2: https://ice.io/boosting-posts-fueling-the-economy 
• ION Deep-Dive Part 3: https://ice.io/swaps-and-bridges-that-strengthen-ion-with-every-transaction