"ION Launches Mainnet with 200 Validators, 40M Users: Revolutionizing Social Media and dApp Building"

Ice Open Network, a high-performance, privacy-focused Layer-1 blockchain, has officially launched its mainnet after reaching a significant milestone of 200 validators. This achievement comes after a thorough development and testing phase, accompanied by substantial ecosystem growth that has led to the network building a community of 40 million users. The mainnet launch sets the stage for ION's upcoming social media platform and decentralized application (dApp) builder.

Alexandru Iulian Florea, Founder and CEO of Ice Open Network, expressed his enthusiasm about the milestone, stating, "This is a testament to the strength and conviction of our community. We initially aimed for 100 validators at launch – to see that number double underscores the trust and enthusiasm surrounding ION. It’s a resounding vote of confidence in our vision to redefine the Internet through decentralization."

ION's unique architecture enables it to scale horizontally as its network participants increase, accommodating billions of users without compromising privacy, security, or the chain's ability to process millions of transactions per second. The ION framework combines efficiency with a human-first approach, decentralizing and securing core elements of digital interaction, such as user identity, content storage and delivery, and social engagement. This results in a versatile dApp infrastructure designed to offer practical utility and support the transition of Internet users to blockchain technology.

Following the mainnet launch, ION will introduce Online+, an integrated social media dApp showcasing the blockchain's capabilities. This dApp will serve as a hub for ION's community and a blueprint for developers wishing to build on ION's framework. Additionally, Ice Open Network's flagship no-code, drag-and-drop dApp-building tool is slated for release in 2025, allowing anyone to create decentralized applications on ION from scratch.

The ION blockchain mainnet rollout began in November 2024, accompanied by the deployment of the ION Bridge. This bridge enables the migration of the network's native ICE token from Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to the ION blockchain. Currently, the network's 200 validators have staked over 15% of the 6.8 billion ICE in circulation, with this percentage expected to increase as Online+ goes live.