Story today announced the initial unlocking schedule for all locked $IP tokens—this includes the initial unlock and subsequent releases based on vesting—will be uniformly postponed by 6 months, applicable to all investors, team members, and internal personnel. Therefore, no new liquidity from locked tokens will enter the market before August 13, 2026.
This decision is part of a series of long-term initiatives by Story aimed at further strengthening the alignment of interests with the community and solidifying the economic foundation of the network. This move also reflects the company's ongoing focus on long-term consistency, network health, and disciplined governance in the context of a challenging macro and market environment.
This adjustment follows the implementation of SIP-00009 and SIP-00010. These two proposals recalibrated the token emission rhythm and staking incentive mechanisms to support a more sustainable token economic structure as the network matures.
Overall, these proposals have significantly advanced Story's token economic model towards long-term sustainability: the staking rewards for locked tokens have been substantially reduced, thereby lowering the emissions from tokens that have not yet entered circulation; at the same time, the incentive mechanisms are increasingly leaning towards active staking participation through unlocked tokens. Additionally, by lowering the staking threshold and associated costs, staking participation has become more accessible to a broader range of community members. The combined effect is a more restrained token issuance structure, healthier staking distribution, and lower inflationary pressure as the network matures.
Postponing the token unlock complements the above adjustments, helping to ensure that new liquidity enters the system in a more gradual manner and remains in sync with a more disciplined emission model and broader community participation.
“At the inception of Story, our mission was to build foundational infrastructure for programmable intellectual property,” the company stated. “This mission has remained unchanged, but our understanding of the most growth-potential directions and the conditions necessary for long-term success has deepened.”
Since launching online, Story has witnessed a continuous emergence of new use cases, and the pace of development across the industry has accelerated, especially in the intersection of IP and AI. These changes continuously influence the company's prioritization in product development, partnerships, and market advancement strategies, helping Story move towards product-market fit, sustainable revenue, and long-term network growth.
What Changes
● Original unlock date: February 13, 2026
● Updated unlock date: August 13, 2026
This adjustment only applies to previously locked tokens for teams, investors, and early contributors.
The following items remain unchanged:
● Total token supply
● Individual token allocation ratios
● Vesting schedule
● Legal ownership of the tokens
Impact on Circulating Supply
Under the updated timeline, locked tokens will gradually unlock over a longer period, with their total allocation ratio and vesting terms remaining unchanged. The actual effect is that the growth rate of circulating supply will be more gradual than originally planned during the extension period. It is important to note that specific changes in circulating supply may still be influenced by network activity, staking participation, and other factors.
To ensure the updated unlock date is consistently executed, Story has introduced a neutral, automated smart contract mechanism to technically enforce the new locking terms. Regardless of whether the relevant technical authorizations are completed, the original locking obligations remain legally binding.
The Story Foundation or any other entity will not gain custody of the relevant wallets, nor will they have the authority to transfer tokens.
“Our responsibility is to transcend short-term market behavior and make choices 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 long-term robustness of the system rather than amplifying short-term fluctuations. The market ultimately tends to reward discipline rather than emotional reactions,” the statement concluded.
About Story
Story is an AI-native blockchain network dedicated to becoming the foundational layer for the provenance, licensing, and economic infrastructure of AI data and models. Leveraging the $IP token, Story enables datasets, models, and AI-generated content to be registered as intellectual property, facilitating programmable licensing and commercialization with the support of a built-in attribution mechanism.
Story has secured a total of $136 million in support from a16z crypto, Polychain Capital, and Samsung Ventures, and officially launched its mainnet in February 2025. Currently, Story is building 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 the responsible scaling of AI systems in enterprises, among developers, and in global markets.
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