Story postponed $IP token unlock, strengthening long-term token economy and network stability

Story today announced that all initial unlock schedules for locked $IP tokens—including initial unlocks and subsequent vesting releases—will be delayed by 6 months across the board for all investors, team members, and internal personnel. Therefore, no new liquidity from locked tokens will enter the market before August 13, 2026.\n\nThis decision is part of a series of long-term initiatives by Story aimed at further aligning interests with the community and strengthening the network’s economic foundation. It also reflects the company’s ongoing focus on long-term consistency, network health, and disciplined governance in the current challenging macro and market environment.\n\nThe adjustment follows the implementation of SIP-00009 and SIP-00010. These proposals recalibrated the token emission pace and staking incentive mechanisms to support a more sustainable token economy as the network gradually matures.\n\nOverall, these proposals substantively promote the transformation of Story’s token economic model toward long-term sustainability: staking rewards for locked tokens are significantly reduced, decreasing emissions from tokens not yet in circulation; at the same time, incentives are increasingly tilted toward active staking participation using unlocked tokens. Additionally, by lowering staking thresholds and related fees, staking becomes more accessible to a broader community. The combined effect is a more restrained token issuance structure, healthier staking distribution, and lower inflation pressure during network maturation.\n\nPostponing token unlocks complements the above adjustments, helping to ensure that new liquidity enters the system more gradually and remains aligned with a disciplined emission model and broader community participation.\n\n“At the launch of Story, our mission was to build the foundational infrastructure for programmable intellectual property,” the company stated. “This mission has remained unchanged, but our understanding of the most promising growth directions and the conditions necessary for long-term success continues to deepen.”\n\nSince its online launch, Story has witnessed the emergence of new use cases, and the overall industry development pace has accelerated, especially in the intersection of IP and AI. These changes continue to influence the company’s priorities in product development, partnerships, and market strategies, helping Story move toward product-market fit, sustainable revenue, and long-term network growth.\n\nWhat has changed\n\nOriginal unlock date: February 13, 2026\n\nUpdated unlock date: August 13, 2026\n\nThis adjustment applies only to previously locked tokens held by teams, investors, and early contributors.\n\nThe following items remain unchanged:\n\nTotal token supply\n\nIndividual token distribution ratios\n\nVesting schedule\n\nLegal ownership of tokens\n\nImpact on circulating supply\n\nUnder the new schedule, locked tokens will be gradually unlocked over a longer period, with the total distribution ratio and vesting terms remaining unchanged. The actual effect is that, during the extended period, the growth rate of circulating supply will be more gradual than originally planned. It is important to note that changes in circulating supply may still be influenced by network activity, staking participation, and other factors.\n\nTo ensure consistent enforcement of the new unlock dates, Story has introduced a neutral, automated smart contract mechanism that technically enforces the new lock-up terms. Regardless of whether the relevant technical authorization is completed, the original lock obligations remain legally binding.\n\nThe Story Foundation or any other entity will not have custody rights over the relevant wallets nor the authority to transfer tokens.\n\n“Our responsibility is to go beyond short-term market behavior and make decisions that truly benefit the long-term stability of the network. In uncertain market cycles, known supply nodes often introduce unnecessary noise. We believe governance decisions should focus on strengthening the system’s long-term robustness rather than amplifying short-term volatility. Ultimately, the market tends to reward discipline rather than emotional reactions,” the statement concluded.\n\nAbout Story\n\nStory is an AI-native blockchain network dedicated to becoming the foundational layer for AI data and model provenance, licensing, and economic infrastructure. Leveraging $IP tokens, Story enables datasets, models, and AI-generated content to be registered as intellectual property, with programmable licensing and commercialization supported by an embedded attribution mechanism.\n\nSupported by a16z crypto, Polychain Capital, and Samsung Ventures with a total of $136 million, Story officially launched its mainnet in February 2025. Currently, Story is building the foundational infrastructure for the AI economy. By deeply integrating IP into the lifecycle of data and models, Story provides the necessary trust mechanisms and economic foundation for responsible expansion of AI systems in enterprises, among developers, and in global markets.