As we find ourselves beyond the midpoint of 2023, IOST has steadfastly adhered to its ecological development principles of “innovation, openness, collaboration, and sharing,” combining diversified innovation on the chain with high-dimensional openness. The project has actively collaborated with major global communities, strategic partners, and a vast user base to drive progress in various dimensions of the ecosystem, including mainnet iterations, fund incubation, infrastructure development, node partnerships, market expansion, ecological construction, and global events.
With collective attention and steadfast support, IOST has accomplished remarkable results and advanced significantly. Let us now take a moment to review the key achievements of IOST during the initial half of 2023!
General updates
February 2023, Blake Jeong Brings Fresh Vision to IOST as Co-CEO: Focus on User-Friendly Experience and Regional Growth
Blake Jeong, now formerly CMO of IOST, was appointed as the Co-CEO of the company in January 2023. Blake has a proven track record of success, having been one of the starting members of a well-known startup backed by Soft Bank and IMM, where he successfully managed three teams and grew the teams’ sales by ten times within less than two years. At IOST, Blake has already demonstrated his leadership skills by building a solid international team and forming successful partnerships.
February 2023, IOST Mainnet Transactions Breaks 700 Million Milestone
April 2023, IOST Announces Official Launch of Hong Kong Office
The formal establishment of the IOST Hong Kong office is significant for IOST’s international ecosystem strategy. It will help promote collaboration with global developers and collectively build an N+1 blockchain innovation ecosystem alliance. IOST is committed to innovation, improvement, and expanding the impact of blockchain technology. We are accelerating the promotion of our ecosystem strategic planning to provide more support for developers and high-quality projects in the crypto space, further accelerating the implementation of IOST’s multi-chain ecosystem.
— IOST Co-CEO, Blake
Finance & incubation
April 2023, BitValue Capital Invests $10 Million in IOST to Advance Web3 and AI Integration
Canadian Web3 investment firm BitValue Capital announces a strategic partnership with IOST through a USD 10 million long-term investment aimed at enhancing IOST’s mainnet capabilities and supporting the continuous development of its ecosystem.
May 2023, IOST Strategic Partnership with Web3HUB
Established by G-Rocket International Accelerator in collaboration with Hong Kong Cyberport, WEB3HUB aims to support the development of emerging industries in Hong Kong and actively attract international Web3 companies to establish a presence in the local market. Through its comprehensive platform, WEB3HUB offers communication and cooperation opportunities for international Web3 companies while providing an advanced environment, comprehensive support, and convenient measures to assist new Web3 companies.
Since its establishment, WEB3HUB has received inquiries from over 300 Web3 companies seeking support strategies and implementation guidelines. Moreover, WEB3HUB plans to serve over a thousand innovative Web3 companies worldwide in the next three years.
June 2023, IOST and BitValue Capital Unveil “223 Booster” in Hong Kong
IOST is proud to announce the official launch of the “223 (Web2 to Web3) Booster” — an innovative Web2 to Web3 startup incubator in the illustrious city of Hong Kong, in a remarkable partnership with BitValue Capital. Moving forward, IOST will collaborate closely with BitValue Capital, the esteemed permanent committee members of the “223 Booster,” global strategic partners, and international communities to forge a top-tier Web3 startup accelerator with worldwide influence, competitiveness, and exceptional repute. The primary objective is to consistently support the innovation and application of cutting-edge Web3 technologies, products, and services while fostering a secure, stable, efficient, collaborative, and inclusive global Web3 ecosystem. This endeavor will deliver comprehensive assistance and diverse support to Web3 enthusiasts and practitioners in Hong Kong, Asia, and across the globe.
In the same month… The 223 Booster Announces the Official List of Initial Executive Committee Members
The 223 Booster (Web2.0 to Web3.0 Startup Incubator) comprises IOST and BitValue Capital as the two joint initiators, alongside 23 executive committee members. On June 14th, several renowned institutions from major global crypto markets, such as Spark Digital Capital, BSCS, and 852Web3, officially joined the 223 Booster as the inaugural batch of executive committee members.
Infrastructure
February 2023, IOST Launches On-Chain Governance Mechanism v2.0 for Enhanced Community Participation
Following over two years of successful operation of the governance mechanism v1.0, the IOST ecosystem has steadily stabilized thanks to the improvements in technology, ecosystem, and the number of pledged votes. Building on this success, IOST has launched its On-Chain Governance v2.0 mechanism, which comes with the following upgrades:
- Optimization of the proposal process
- Lowered the proposal threshold
- Upgraded the on-chain governance UX, making it faster and more convenient.
June 2023, Introducing iWallet Pro: The Enhanced Plugin Wallet for IOST Users
As an IOST Chrome extension wallet, iWallet plays an essential role in the IOST ecosystem. Users can utilize iWallet to perform token transfers, receive payments, purchase iGAS and iRAM on the IOST blockchain. Additionally, iWallet enables users to log in to various IOST DApps developed by third-party developers, such as the block explorer IOSTABC, cross-chain bridge IOSTSwap, and decentralized finance protocol Yokozuna Finance.
Partner Nodes ecosystem
April 2023, IOST Partners with HashKey DID to Reinforce Web3 Infrastructure and Enhance Decentralized Identity Solutions
Following this partnership, HashKey DID has also officially become an IOST partner node, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of both organizations. This collaboration shall leverage our respective expertise in blockchain technology and decentralized identity solutions, paving the way for a more robust Web3 ecosystem.
May 2023, IOST Empowers MUXIC to Build a Leading Web3 Metaverse Music Platform
The collaboration aspires to position MUXIC as a leading global metaverse music platform in the Web3 industry. Together, we shall drive the integrated development and implementation of metaverse music products and services, aiming to provide users with higher quality and more enjoyable Web3 metaverse music. This platform shall offer updated music products, immersive music experiences, and improved music services. Together, we shall achieve multidimensional and innovation fusion, combining Web3 + blockchain, virtual items + reality, and metaverse + music, aiming to lead the way in establishing a new trend of Web3 metaverse music in Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond.
Market Expansion
March 2023, IOST Announces Strategic Partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to Foster Web 3.0 Development
By collaborating with AWS, IOST aims to integrate AWS Web 3.0 solutions into its ecosystem and enhance its offerings in DeFi, NFT, GameFi, Web 3, and the metaverse. Leveraging AWS’s global reach, robust network computing power, AI/ML tools, and decentralized IT architecture, IOST will onboard more developer teams worldwide to create a secure and distributed digital economic system.
March 2023, Boosty Labs and IOST, a Growth Partnership for Developer Community and Incubation Program
Boosty Labs is a world-class blockchain and fintech team with over 10 years of experience in consulting, development, and design. With over 150 employees worldwide, Boosty Labs has already implemented over 200 projects for top players in the crypto industry, including Ledger, Consensys, Celsius Network, Storj Labs, Bloom Protocol, NEM, Elixir, and NEAR Protocol.
Through this partnership, IOST Labs and Boosty Labs shall expand the ecosystem and foster sustainable growth. By collaborating with the developer community and incubation programs, the partnership will accelerate the growth of the IOST ecosystem and offer more opportunities for developers to build and innovate on the blockchain.
May 2023, IOST & DBX Global Strategic Partnership to Drive Integrated Development of DID Products & Services in Web3
IOST inked this strategic partnership with DBX Global, a Web3 social platform founded on blockchain-based DID. Together, we aim to drive the integrated development of DID products and services on the blockchain. Moreover, both parties shall collaborate extensively to strategically implement plans for various areas, including expanding the on-chain ecosystem, organizing user activities, and community operations. The overarching objective is to establish a stable, highly scalable, and secure Web3 social platform with low entry barriers, exceptional usability, and reliable security. This collaboration seeks to provide a shared and collaborative Web3 social platform for a diverse user base.
May 2023, IOST Collaborates with Fintech Visionary & Digital Transformation Expert Professor Emil Chan to Establish a Premier Global Education DAO
IOST announced a collaboration with Professor Emil Chan, a renowned fintech visionary and digital transformation expert. Together, we will create NextEduDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) dedicated to revolutionizing higher education through innovation. Our mission is to establish a leading global education DAO based in Hong Kong, leveraging the power of blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and other cutting-edge technologies. NextEduDAO aims to cultivate a community-driven, decentralized, open, fair, and transparent ecosystem for higher education.
June 2023, Strategic Partnership with the Prominent Platform — AiR Metaverse
As a prominent metaverse platform in Hong Kong, AiR Metaverse is dedicated to promoting healthy and sustainable innovation in metaverse gaming. With its core technology development and market planning, AiR aims to explore new paths and models within the metaverse gaming industry. With AiR officially joining the IOST ecosystem and establishing a strategic partnership, IOST will continue to provide AiR with core Web3.0 technology support and global ecosystem resources. This collaboration aims to empower AiR in building a leading game-based metaverse platform in Hong Kong.
Ecosystem Construction
February 2023, CoinTrade and “MOPPY,” a point-earning site with 9 million users, now support converting points into IOST coins.
CoinTrade, a Japanese licensed exchange, announced in December 2022 a service to exchange points of MOPPY, a point-earning site operated by its sister company, into IOST coins. CoinTrade aims to increase and expand the number of crypto users with this new approach to asset management through the use of crypto assets and the exchange of points.
Aril 2023, IOST Inaugurates AI Lab to Accelerate the Evolution of Web3 Digital Innovation
On April 21, 2023, we announced the formal establishment of the IOST AI Labs, along with its distinguished team, which is composed of senior research experts in AI algorithms and large language models (LLMs), and IOST core developers. In the future, the IOST AI Lab shall catalyze the development of the IOST AI subchain and improve the research and development of related products.
June 2023, TwiPlay Network, a Twitter-based gaming and social platform, officially joins the IOST ecosystem
The collaboration aims to tackle challenges related to user growth in Web3 and foster the healthy and sustainable development of the ecosystem. The partnership holds significance for both parties, as it aims to bring more incremental users to IOST and provide TwiPlay Network with technological empowerment, community support, brand promotion, and market assistance from the global IOST ecosystem. Both parties will dedicate joint efforts to promoting the integration and development of various Web3 gaming and social products and services. Our shared goal is to provide users with a comprehensive Web3 experience, explore new approaches to incentivize and market Web3 creators globally, and pioneer new directions and models.
Campaigns and Events
January 2023, IOST Year Long Event v2.0: Collect All 9 NFTs to Share an IOST Prize Pool
Following the issuance of two NFTs in 2022 — the [IOST Dundun] and the [Christmas] NFTs, IOST will launch the v2.0 Year Long Event featuring seven more NFTs to be issued in 2023 (possible extension to 2024). Each NFT is a unique on-chain asset with an independent serial number; these will be distributed to the IOST community users that participate in selected events free of cost. IOST users that collect all 9 IOST NFT badges will be eligible to share a portion of a prize pool sponsored by IOST.
March 2023, IOST on YouTube by OKCoin Japan, Why is it so popular in Japan? Interview with Blake, Co-CEO of IOST
IOST Co-CEO Blake joined OKCoin Japan’s YouTube channel to dive deeply into the IOST blockchain with OKCoin Japan’s Richard.
April 2023, IOST Participates in Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2023 and meets with Cyberport to exchange on Web3 Ecosystem Development
On April 13, IOST and Cyberport engaged in dialogues to discuss the development of the Web3 ecosystem and explore potential collaborations.
April 2023, IOST Convenes Exclusive Seminar with HKSTP on “Blockchain+” | Fostering Corporate Digital Transformation and Advancement
On April 14, 2023, IOST and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park engaged in profound dialogues and deliberations on Blockchain+ — Fostering Corporate Digital Transformation and Advancement and IOST Ecosystem Projects Entering the Park.
April 2023, IOST’s Hong Kong Expansion and AI Lab Inauguration: Celebrating Progress with Limited Edition NFTs
To commemorate the seamless progression of IOST’s Hong Kong endeavors and the formal establishment of the IOST AI Lab, IOST is releasing a limited edition of 1,000 “Poblebee” AI-generated NFTs. Complete the tasks to obtain one of the “Poblebee” NFTs + 200,000 IOST.
May 2023, Embracing the Future: The 2023 Hong Kong Web3 Conference
The “2023 Hong Kong Web3 Conference”, hosted by BitValue Capital and co-hosted by IOST, Alibaba Cloud, Animoca Venture, Cyberport, RACA, HashKey, and OSL, happened today at 78 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. The objective of the conference shall focus on amplifying the comprehension and acceptance of blockchain technology, fostering the international exchange and collaboration of blockchain technology, seizing the new opportunities of the era of web3 digital innovation development, and promoting the practical application and innovative development of blockchain technology in Hong Kong.
June 2023, IOST’s Participation in “Cloud and Innovative Technology Application Seminar and Association’s 10th Anniversary Celebration” in Hong Kong
From June 7th to 9th, the “Seminar on Cloud and Innovative Technology Applications and the Association’s 10th Anniversary Celebration,” organized by the Hong Kong Association of Cloud and Mobile Computing Professionals, will be held at the Asia International Expo. The conference will center around the application and development of cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud computing and mobile computing, to explore the latest trends and technological advancements in the global digital economy industry. Alongside a grand exhibition, the event will feature distinguished speeches, captivating music performances, immersive metaverse experiences, and interactions in the realm of Web3, making it an unmissable gathering with many exciting activities!
The numerous achievements and progress made in the first half of 2023 were not only a result of the continuous efforts of the IOST development and operations teams but also a testament to the unwavering support from partners and users worldwide.
Moving forward, IOST will continue to act as a pioneer, accelerating the global ecosystem expansion process. We are committed to establishing the N+1 Blockchain Innovation Ecosystem Alliance, further refining strategic plans and layouts for major areas such as on-chain NFT, DeFi, AI, Metaverse, and Web3. The ultimate goal is to provide users with a comprehensive, stable, reliable, flexible, convenient, secure, and compliant one-stop blockchain service platform. Moreover, IOST will continue to enrich the ecosystem with a diverse range of innovative products and services.
As a leading force, IOST aims to foster collaborations with various stakeholders and communities, pushing the boundaries of blockchain innovation to create a flourishing and dynamic ecosystem. By doing so, it seeks to cater to the needs of a wide range of users, empowering them with groundbreaking technologies and solutions.
About IOST
IOST — The Web3 Blockchain Operating System
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Singapore, IOST is an enterprise-level blockchain application platform backed by prominent global USD investment institutions like Sequoia, Matrix Partners, and ZhenFund. It is designed to serve online service providers.
Expanding the Web3 Ecosystem
Amidst the ongoing digital revolution driven by Web3, IOST is committed to fostering innovative development within the blockchain ecosystem. The platform has made significant progress in various areas, including blockchain, consensus algorithms (PoB/PoI), decentralized identity authentication (DID), zero-knowledge proofs (SNARKs and ring signatures), relay-based protocols, DeFi, NFT, AI, XR, and more.
IOST2 — The Real Web3 blockchain operating system.
- IOST2 — The Merge: IOST will adopt the Beacon Chain + Smart Chain architecture for IOST2, ensuring compatibility with EVM and utilizing standard Engine API for communication between the two.
- IOST2 is continuously evolving and upgrading multiple subchains, encompassing general-purpose EVM-based smart contract chains and dedicated subchains such as NFT chains, gaming chains, AI Native chains, and others.
If you have any resources or collaboration interests related to Web3 + AI, please contact us.
- IOST Hong Kong Office Email: hk@iost.io
If you would like to hang out with the IOST community on chat or social media or discuss product development, we have something for everyone:
