The ICON Network has officially announced the planned decommissioning of its public blockchain, with a complete cessation of operations scheduled for December 31, 2026. This strategic shift marks the project's total transition toward SODAX, a specialized infrastructure focused on cross-chain execution and decentralized liquidity. Following the shutdown, the ICON mainnet will transition into a restricted state, preserving only read-only historical query functions for archival purposes.
Migration Timeline and Token Swap Procedures
To facilitate the transition, a mandatory migration process from ICX tokens to SODA tokens has been initiated. Network participants must adhere to a strict timeline to avoid the loss of asset portability:
- On September 30, 2026, the migration channel will be restricted to support only one-way ICX to SODA exchanges.
- The final deadline for all token migrations is December 31, 2026.
- After the end-of-year deadline, the swap functionality will be permanently disabled.
Holders of ICX are advised to perform the migration via the official SODA Exchange interface. While individual users can manually convert assets now, centralized exchanges (CEXs) are expected to implement automatic conversion protocols for their users as the deadline approaches.
Transition to SODAX Infrastructure
The move signifies ICON’s evolution from a standalone public chain to a comprehensive interoperability layer. SODAX has already established connectivity across 18 different networks, positioning itself as a hub for cross-chain swaps, lending, and liquidity provision. The native liquidity previously locked within ICON’s protocols is being migrated to this new ecosystem to bolster its decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities.
This move signifies the project's full transition to cross-chain execution and liquidity infrastructure SODAX, which has already connected 18 networks and will migrate ICON's protocol's native liquidity to SODAX for cross-chain swaps, lending, and other businesses.
The redirection of resources reflects a growing trend in the blockchain industry where legacy networks pivot toward specialized interoperability solutions rather than maintaining independent general-purpose ecosystems.
By shifting focus to SODAX, the development team aims to leverage existing cross-chain connectivity to provide more robust services for the broader Web3 environment. Current ICX holders and ecosystem participants should monitor official channels closely to ensure all technical migrations are completed before the network's final sunset on December 31, 2026.
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