Deep Dive
1. v2.2.0 Mainnet Upgrade (June 2025)
Overview: This was a mandatory hard fork, requiring all network operators to upgrade their software. For everyday users, it made the network significantly faster and more efficient.
The upgrade activated at block 36,893,881 on 19 June 2025. Its two core changes were reducing the block time from 5 seconds to 2.5 seconds and replacing the old System Staking v2 contract with a new v3 version. Exchanges like Binance and CoinEx temporarily paused deposits and withdrawals to ensure a smooth transition.
What this means: This is bullish for IOTX because it directly improves network performance. Faster block times mean quicker transaction confirmations and a better experience for applications built on IoTeX, which is crucial for its DePIN and AI use cases. The new staking system modernizes the infrastructure for network validators.
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2. Governance-Driven Protocol Improvements (2025)
Overview: Several technical enhancements were proposed and approved by the IoTeX community through its governance process, directly improving the network's capabilities.
Key approved proposals include IIP-42, which implemented the block time reduction mentioned above, effectively doubling network throughput. IIP-48 expanded the cross-chain functionality of CIOTX, leading to a reported 43% surge in Total Value Locked (TVL). Another, IIP-30, migrated a core liquidity pool to USDC.e to strengthen cross-chain efficiency.
What this means: This is bullish for IOTX because it demonstrates a healthy, active community that can efficiently upgrade the protocol. The resulting improvements—faster speeds and deeper liquidity—make the ecosystem more attractive for developers and users, supporting long-term growth.
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3. Ecosystem-Wide Bug Bounty Launch (July 2025)
Overview: IoTeX launched a public program inviting users to test and report issues across its entire product suite, offering IOTX tokens as rewards.
Announced on 15 July 2025, the initiative covers websites, the ioPay wallet, bridges, and blockchain explorers. It focuses on finding bugs, user interface problems, and experience improvements, turning the community into quality assurance testers.
What this means: This is neutral-to-bullish for IOTX because it proactively strengthens ecosystem security and usability. While not a feature update, it leads to more robust and user-friendly products, reducing risk and building trust—a critical foundation for a network handling real-world assets and data.
(IoTeX)
Conclusion
IoTeX's development trajectory shows a clear focus on enhancing core performance while actively engaging its community for testing and governance. The network is systematically laying a faster, more decentralized foundation for its Physical AI vision. How will these technical upgrades influence the development of new, real-world applications on the IoTeX blockchain in 2026?