Ice Open Network Launches Online+ Decentralized Social Media Application: Key Details

After much anticipation, Ice Open Network launched its Online+ decentralized application on October 4, 2025, providing users with a platform for social interactions free from centralized control. 

The app became available for download on Android and iOS devices, following a soft launch that included over 3,000 verified creators with a combined audience exceeding one billion people, along with 15,000 waitlisted community members and more than 150 partner projects from areas such as decentralized finance, gaming, artificial intelligence, and social finance. 

This rollout came after months of development and beta testing, positioning Online+ as the first major dApp built on the ION Framework, which supports scalable, privacy-focused applications.

Development and Launch Process

Development of Online+ began after the mainnet activation, with closed beta testing involving early users and creators. Weekly beta bulletins detailed iterative updates, with BSCN following the protocol’s updates in numerous roundups that outlined specific improvements, such as enhanced chat loading times, extended video upload limits, refined hashtag logic, improved wallet transaction handling, and smoother notifications. 

For instance, the bulletin for September 8-14, 2025, introduced NFT pagination and better data management, while the September 22-28 edition added preloaded stories and prioritized content caching.

The soft launch in early October focused on stability, with gradual email invitations to manage the influx of users. Onboarding started with creators and communities, ensuring the platform could handle initial activity before the full public release. The official launch announcement on October 4 highlighted the end of this preparation phase, with the app accessible via online.io. 

Key Features of Online+

On-Chain Profiles: Online+ includes on-chain profiles that incorporate decentralized identity and built-in wallet functionality, allowing users to manage cryptocurrencies directly within the app.

Integrated Wallet: The integrated wallet supports multi-chain transactions, allowing users to send and receive tokens without external addresses, as well as stake for annual percentage yields without lockup periods.

Encrypted Messaging: End-to-end encrypted messaging offers secure and private communication, free from intermediaries.

Content Creation Tools: Content creation tools support posts, stories, videos, and hashtags in a scrolling feed format, with all interactions tokenized as non-fungible tokens on the blockchain for ownership and gasless operations.

DApp Discovery and Community-Owned Hubs: The app also features dApp discovery and community-owned hubs for exploring Web3 projects, which will be rolled out progressively after launch.

Mobile Mining Sessions: Mobile mining sessions allow tap-to-earn mechanics, with daily check-ins, streaks, and referrals increasing earning rates by up to 25% per active invitee, distributing rewards in $ION.

Platform Operations: The platform operates without opaque algorithms or censorship, ensuring users control their experiences.

User Interface and Beta Feedback: Beta testers reported a polished interface comparable to Web 2.0 apps, featuring enhancements such as video comments, trending UI adjustments, and improved caching, which significantly improved usability.

Monetization and Tokenomics

Monetization features are scheduled for activation in the fourth quarter of 2025, allowing users and creators to earn $ION based on specific metrics. These include time spent on the app, post engagement through likes, comments, and shares, content quality and originality, verified creator status, referral invites, and community contributions such as spam reporting and feedback. Tokenized posts, tips, and rewards will facilitate additional earning methods, with $ION used for in-app transactions, such as subscriptions and boosts.

The tokenomics of $ION include utility for staking, which offers yields without requiring lockups, and referral bonuses to promote growth. Transaction fees from app utilities are burned, supporting a deflationary model. Early adopters are encouraged to build referral networks to maximize rewards once monetization begins.

Partnerships and Ecosystem Integration

ION has established over 200 partnerships, integrating various projects into the Online+ ecosystem. Below is a list of some of the integrations:

In AI and content tools, collaborations include;

• Robert AI, which utilizes artificial intelligence for video generation, enables creators to produce and monetize their content. 
• Omniminds AI offers open-source AI agents trained on human demonstrations for tasks such as form filling and software navigation, with tokenized incentives. 
• Sinthive offers autonomous AI agents for trading, payments, and social engagement, with voice-driven interfaces. 
• Solidus AI Tech supplies GPU marketplaces and no-code agent builders, backed by a 20MW data center. GraphAI delivers real-time blockchain analytics through knowledge graphs for AI workflows.

For community and engagement;

• Moontask provides AI-powered verification to combat bot activity, achieving 95% accuracy in identifying genuine users. 
• StarX Network enables decentralized mobile mining without the need for specialized hardware. 
• WandrLust turns physical exploration into earnable points via GPS verification. 
• ARCOIN facilitates location-based augmented reality ads and ownership of digital map tiles.

Infrastructure partners include;

• NOWChain with its Proof of Mobile consensus for energy-efficient validation. 
• Arweave ensures permanent data storage through its permaweb protocol. 
• Bluepill Audit enhances security for digital assets. 
• Spout tokenizes traditional assets like U.S. stocks and bonds.

Upcoming integrations involve government entities, educational institutions, football clubs, and direct $ION purchases on exchanges like Binance and OKX. Projects like Sunwaves, CallFluent, Sauces, and SealSend also plan token distributions post-launch.

Future Plans

Post-launch activities include activating tokenized rewards and expanding dApp hubs in the fourth quarter of 2025. The network aims to leverage its mining-era user base of over 40 million to drive adoption. CEO Alexandru Iulian Florea described the platform as one where users own their social interactions and creativity receives rewards, with community governance at the center of its operations.

“For too long, we’ve accepted platforms where we are the product and intermediaries set the rules. With Online+, we are launching something fundamentally different: a platform where you own your social life, where creativity is rewarded, and where the power sits with the community, not the corporation.”

Conclusion

Online+ provides decentralized social media incorporating several features, including on-chain profiles, secure messaging, wallets, and upcoming monetization tied to user activity and $ION tokenomics. 

The app's features support content ownership and gasless interactions on ION's scalable Layer-1 blockchain, integrated with partnerships in AI, security, and real-world asset tokenization. This setup addresses data privacy and intermediary issues commonly found in traditional platforms, providing a structured environment for creators and communities. 

Users considering participation should visit the website and download the application from the Google Play Store or App Store. 

Sources:

• https://cointelegraph.com/press-releases/ion-s-online-goes-live-bringing-decentralized-social-media-to-a-global-audience
• https://x.com/ice_blockchain/status/1974377883004010511
• https://coinmarketcap.com/cmc-ai/ice-decentralized-future/latest-updates/