Latest ION Update: Online+ Approaches Launch Mode as Partnerships and Integrations Bolster Ecosystem

Following recent updates within the Ice Open Network (ION) ecosystem, Online+ is edging ever closer to its public launch. The protocol’s flagship product has also been accompanied by a series of new partnerships and technical refinements

From September 18 to 24, the project's official X account, @ice_blockchain, detailed integrations with several projects, alongside progress on user onboarding and app stability. These developments come as ION, a Layer-1 blockchain focused on speed, scalability, and privacy, expands its ecosystem to support decentralized applications and communities.

###New Partnerships Expand ION Ecosystem

ION has added multiple projects to its Online+ platform over the past week, each contributing specific functionalities to the decentralized social network. The partnerships are as follows:

GraphAI: Announced on September 18, GraphAI operates as an MCP-based GraphRAG AI data layer, designed to deliver real-time blockchain intelligence. It streams on-chain context for AI agents, decentralized finance applications (DeFAI), and Real-World Asset (RWA) insights. Users can access data in a conversational format, with the project's token enabling advanced features. This setup aims to assist developers and content creators within the ION environment by providing structured data handling.

FanStorm: FanStorm targets sports enthusiasts, starting with soccer fans and planning expansions to other sports. The project supports 24 loyalty levels, gamification elements, challenges, and upcoming tokenization, along with Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). It aims to capture a portion of the global sports technology market, which exceeds $40 billion, by providing monetization options for clubs and sponsors through user-generated content and rewards.

StarX Network: Introduced on September 19, StarX functions as a decentralized mining application accessible via smartphones, eliminating the need for specialized hardware. It includes social features, integrated wallets, and token utilities, building on ION's infrastructure to facilitate entry into Web3 for general users.

Bluepill Audit: Joined on September 23 as a security provider. This service offers digital asset protection with features described as fast, smart, and affordable, including intuitive interfaces to build trust among creators and projects on Online+.

Other integrations include WandrLust, which incorporates GPS-verified travel quests and token rewards, enabling gamified exploration within Online+. On the other hand, ARCOIN introduces augmented reality (AR) tiles, which convert physical locations into interactive, tokenized spaces integrated into the platform's social layer.

These integrations bring the total number of partners in the ION ecosystem close to 200. Each partner establishes dedicated hubs on Online+, importing their communities and use cases to the network.

###ION Responds to Skepticism as CEO Speaks on Universality

Throughout the week, ION's X account engaged with community queries and external developments. On September 23, in response to doubts about the platform's launch timeline, the account posted a message advising skeptics to sell their holdings and disengage if unconvinced. This addressed ongoing speculation and fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) within the community.

Meanwhile, ION's CEO, Lulian, disclosed the platform's direction in a statement with BSCN: “Online+ is alive and kicking, and the big task now is universality: the new social layer of the Internet must feel effortless for anyone, anywhere, on any device. If it has a screen and a signal, it should run Online+ — no barriers, no excuses, just the Internet finally on-chain, for all.”

Looking forward, the focus remains on stability enhancements, particularly across diverse devices, and continued onboarding. Feedback from testnet and production environments guides these efforts, ensuring consistent performance regardless of hardware specifications.

###Online+ Enters Final Onboarding Phase

ION began distributing early access invites to waitlist users on September 22, initiating a gradual rollout ahead of the public release. The platform has a substantial waitlist, and the onboarding process is managed in phases to maintain system stability

This move transitions Online+ from a closed beta to broader availability, potentially accommodating millions of users. Accompanying the onboarding announcement was the latest Online+ Beta Bulletin, outlining recent technical improvements

The bulletin confirms that the platform is now in launch mode, with a shrinking backlog of issues and stable modules across builds. Refinements were applied to core components, including the wallet, chat, feed, and profile sections.

####Feature updates include:

Wallet

• Disabled the share button in the “Transaction successful” modal until the transaction is confirmed.
• Added state for the QR code scanner when camera permissions are turned off.

Chat

• Added avatar and name of the user when a story is shared into chat.

Feed

• Increased maximum video upload length to 30 minutes.
• Updated topic ordering.
• Added pagination for feed notifications.
• Adjusted story navigation so tapping left on user B’s story 1 moves back to user A’s story 2.

General

• Implemented reserved usernames.
• Updated the copy on the maintenance screen.

####Bug fixes addressed several areas:

Security

• Removed misleading checkmark for iCloud backup when it hadn’t been completed.
• Resolved Google Drive backup errors.

Wallet

• Corrected extra spacing in transaction history.
• Fixed display error where balance showed as 0.0(6)7 instead of 0.
• “Wallet not found” message no longer persists after address creation.
• Fixed infinite passkey loading when sending ION NFTs.
• Transactions no longer disappear from coin details after sending SNOW.

Feed

• Reduced video upload times.
• Corrected inflated like counts.
• Fixed incorrect notification text for replies.
• Prevented likes rows from overflowing post images.
• Error modal no longer appears when deleting posts.
• Fixed green icon persisting in Stories after restart or refresh.
• Story shutter now triggers instantly when taking photos.
• Prevented Story creation when NFT collection isn’t yet set up.
• Quoted videos now play correctly.
• Fixed issue where the first Story always opened for users with multiple Stories.
• Global notifications no longer interrupt each other during video uploads.
• Global notifications now disappear after multiple sequential post deletions.
• Fixed circular dependency errors on quote or repost deletions.
• “You followed” pop-up no longer retriggers after restart.

Chat

• Fixed issue where some messages were not delivered.
• Restoring device keys now works properly.

Profile

• Removed “username not owned” for affected users.
• Fixed content language selection and persistence issues.
• Stories now open reliably when tapping the avatar.
• Widgets no longer get stuck when accounts had past interactions with deleted accounts.

The bulletin notes that these changes enhance the app's sharpness and steadiness. With creators and waitlist users now joining, Online+ is shifting from internal testing to active use, featuring real interactions and feeds.

###ION's Technical Foundation and Launch Preparations

As a Layer-1 blockchain, ION prioritizes attributes like transaction speed, network scalability, and user privacy to support decentralized applications. Online+ serves as its primary social platform, integrating these blockchain elements with social features such as feeds, chats, and profiles. The recent updates emphasize backend stability, with modules maintaining consistency for weeks.

The platform's wallet handles transactions for tokens like ION NFTs and SNOW, with fixes in place to ensure accurate displays and reliable operations. Chat and feed functionalities incorporate media handling, notifications, and navigation tailored for decentralized social interactions.

With nearly 200 partners, ION's ecosystem encompasses a diverse range of applications. Each addition expands the network's utility, enabling projects to leverage ION's infrastructure for the benefit of their communities.

Onboarding waves are ongoing, with the final steps involving stabilization fixes based on user input. This process prepares Online+ for public access, focusing on device compatibility to accommodate a wide range of smartphones and systems.

###Conclusion

As ION continues to refine its infrastructure through these partnerships and technical updates, Online+ is progressing toward its public launch, with early access invites already underway and stability improvements addressing a broad range of devices

This aligns with the protocol's emphasis on universality, as outlined by CEO Lulian in his statement to BSCN. With these in mind, the ongoing efforts position ION to deliver a decentralized social platform that integrates blockchain features with everyday usability across hardware and user bases.

Sources:

• Online+ Beta Bulletin Update, September 22, 2025:
• ION Blog: