ION Weekly Update: Upcoming Production Release, Feature Enhancements, and More

Ice Open Network (ION) released its latest Online+ Bulletin on October 27, 2025, detailing platform improvements from October 20 to 26, including performance upgrades, user interface adjustments, and bug fixes across key areas such as Wallet, Chat, and Feed. 

This update reflects ongoing efforts to refine the blockchain-based social platform, which now exceeds 904,000 on-chain addresses, amid preparations for a new production release.

Overview of the Online+ Platform Refinements

In the bulletin, ION developers outlined a series of targeted enhancements to improve app stability and user experience. The focus was on addressing common pain points reported by the community, such as app lagging and media processing delays. For instance, overall app performance has been boosted through optimizations that accelerate load speeds, scrolling, and screen transitions. These changes are designed to handle increased usage as the platform scales.

A notable addition is the swipe-to-reply feature in Chat, which lets users respond to messages by swiping left. This mirrors features of other messaging apps while integrating with ION's decentralized structure. 

In the Feed section, video handling received multiple updates: positioning in full-screen mode was adjusted for better visibility, and users can now unmute videos using device volume buttons. Video scrubbing (enabling forward and backward seeking) has also been implemented, reducing frustration during playback.

Media management saw significant fixes. The Event & Media Manager in Chat was stabilized to minimize crashes, and media processing speeds were increased across the app. Issues with the media picker, such as the limit of uploading only five images from specific folders or errors after adding videos, were resolved. Additionally, the "Export failed due to codec error" message that appeared during video uploads has been eliminated.

User interface elements were refined for clarity and efficiency. In the Feed, a dedicated UI for Creator Tokens was introduced, along with a "Share Screen" feature for these tokens. On iOS devices, tapping the top bar now enables a "Swipe Up" to scroll to the top of the page. The Profile section added a display for Total Referrals on the "Invite a Friend" page, providing users with quick access to referral metrics. Repost speed in the Feed was improved, and new bookmark collections now appear immediately after creation.

Bug Fixes Across Core Functions

The bulletin documented a comprehensive set of bug fixes, categorized by app sections, to ensure reliability:

Authentication Process

• The ION logo now displays correctly in dark mode.
• The system properly falls back to password registration if passkey creation fails.

Wallet Functionality

• NFT searches no longer return "No results" for valid inputs.
• DOT transactions that previously got stuck are now processing as expected.

Feed

• Repost counters that occasionally failed to refresh have been updated.
• Missing author information on certain reposts has been restored.
• Instances of freezing or lagging during scrolling have been reduced (app-wide, but relevant to Feed usage).

Chat

• Payment confirmation messages are visible again.
• Payments no longer appear as nostr events—a protocol for decentralized social networking.
• Overlapping search results were corrected.
• Links within messages are now clickable.

Profile

• Missing followers for some users were restored.
• An incorrect "Follow back" button on other users' followers lists was removed.
• Excessive spacing in user bios was trimmed.
• Duplicate separators under bios were eliminated.
• The followers bar now loads consistently.

General

• Infinite loading loops when returning from posts opened via notifications were fixed.
• Incomplete localizations for Arabic and German languages were completed.
• These resolutions demonstrate ION's commitment to iterative development based on user reports.

Community Growth and New Integrations

ION reported consistent growth, with the platform surpassing 904,000 on-chain addresses, an increase of approximately 100,000 from the previous week. This mirrors the growth pattern from the week before, indicating steady user adoption without reliance on external campaigns.

New communities are integrating into the Online+ ecosystem. On October 23, 2025, ION announced a partnership with Pilot, an AI Co-Pilot for Web3. Pilot functions as a personal assistant for managing tokens, NFTs, airdrops, and even Web2 tasks like booking flights through natural language commands. It bridges Web2 and Web3 by providing a unified AI interface for crypto interactions and decentralized applications (dApps). Users can join the Pilot community via the Online+ app.

Another integration mentioned in our last weekly update is Digika.ai, an AI and blockchain-based freelance marketplace. This addition brings creators, professionals, and businesses into the social layer, facilitating collaboration and reputation building within tokenized communities.

These developments highlight how Online+ is evolving as a hub for specialized groups, leveraging blockchain for secure, on-chain interactions.

Plans for the Week Ahead

Looking forward, ION plans to deploy a new production version this week, incorporating fixes for most reported issues. Development continues on larger features, including Swaps for token exchanges, Tokenized Communities for group-based asset management, and a monetization system that rewards user activity and contributions.

This system aims to convert participation, such as posting, engaging, or creating content, into tangible value through tokenomics. The approach emphasizes tuning existing elements while advancing these expansions in the background.

Conclusion

The latest Online+ Bulletin underscores ION's methodical approach to platform development, with targeted performance boosts, UI refinements, and bug fixes enhancing core functions such as Chat, Feed, and Wallet. 

Community growth is evident, alongside integrations such as Pilot and Digika.ai, which illustrate the platform's expanding role in Web3 social networking. As ION prepares its next release, these updates position Online+ as a reliable tool for decentralized interactions. 

Sources:

• ION Online+ Bulletin October 20-26: https://ice.io/the-online-bulletin-october-20-26-2025 
• ION X Account: https://x.com/ice_blockchain