Solana News Today: Rome Mints Digital Citizens to Build Blockchain's United Empire

Rome Protocol has announced the launch of its genesis non-fungible token (NFT) collection, Imperia: Rome Citizens, on Magic Eden's launchpad on October 14, 2025. The project, backed by a $9 million seed round led by venture capital firms Hack VC and Portal Ventures, as well as Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, aims to establish a blockchain-based "empire" through interoperability and on-chain identity. The NFTs, priced at 0.753 SOL, will be available in a limited supply of 10,000 units, with 3,677 allocated for the initial mint phase. Early contributors, top Solana NFT holders, and participants in Rome's ecosystem campaigns are eligible for whitelist access.

The Imperia collection is designed to serve as a foundation for Rome's identity and participation layer, offering holders early access to ecosystem features, campaigns, and governance mechanisms. NFTs will be categorized into classes such as Senators, Praetorians, and Gladiators, each reflecting different roles within the Rome Protocol community. Holders will gain eligibility for exclusive rewards, governance simulations, and priority access to future project integrations. The utility extends to on-chain reputation badges, brand rights for use in games and wearables, and participation in seasonal challenges.

The mint process will unfold in three phases: 556 guaranteed whitelist spots, 1,444 overallocated whitelist allocations, and a public sale of 1,677 NFTs on a first-come, first-served basis. Rome Protocol emphasizes that the NFTs are not merely collectibles but "digital citizenships" enabling cross-chain collaboration and secure settlement. The project's interoperability layer seeks to unify fragmented blockchain ecosystems, leveraging Solana's performance to facilitate atomic composability across rollups, appchains, and EVM-compatible networks.

Rome Protocol's funding round, finalized in July 2024, included participation from Polygon Ventures, Hashkey, and other industry leaders, alongside angel investments from figures such as Nick White and Santiago Santos. The project's whitepaper outlines its ambition to create a "connected empire" by bridging liquidity across chains, allowing developers to deploy applications with seamless cross-chain functionality.

The launch of Imperia aligns with Magic Eden's expanding role as a multichain NFT platform. The marketplace has hosted several high-profile collections in 2025, including projects focused on gaming, metaverse development, and AI-driven health technology. Rome's integration with Magic Eden underscores the platform's strategy to attract projects with strong utility and community engagement.

Source: [1] Magic Eden NFT Drops | NFT Calendar | RiseAngle (https://riseangle.com/nft-calendar/marketplace/magic-eden) [2] Magic Eden Upcoming Projects Mints and Events – NFT Calendar (https://nftcalendar.io/marketplace/magic-eden/) [3] Rome Launches Its Genesis NFT Collection "Imperia" on Magic ... (https://dailyhodl.com/2025/10/08/rome-launches-its-genesis-nft-collection-imperia-on-magic-eden-launchpad/) [4] Imperia: Rome Citizens (https://www.rome.builders/imperia-rome-citizens) [5] Rome Launches Its Genesis NFT Collection "Imperia" on Magic ... (https://techstartups.com/2025/10/08/rome-launches-its-genesis-nft-collection-imperia-on-magic-eden-launchpad/) [6] Rome Protocol secured $9.00M in funding on Jul 09, 2024 (https://www.coincarp.com/fundraising/rome-protocol-undisclosed/)