ICON Foundation announced the final termination of the ICON Network and the complete migration of ICX to SODA on December 31, 2026, marking the end of the blockchain’s nearly nine-year run as the project shifts its focus fully to SODAX.
According to the company, the shutdown will mark the formal end of the ICON blockchain after nearly nine years of operation, leaving behind only a read-only archive for historical transaction lookups, while ICX holders will have until the same December 31 deadline to complete their migration.
ICON Network before the transition
Launched in 2017, ICON Network was developed as a Layer 1 blockchain designed to connect separate blockchain ecosystems and support value transfer across networks.
At the time, cross-chain infrastructure was still limited, pushing ICON to build its own base chain and introduce technologies such as Blockchain Transmission Protocol and xCall.
The network served as the foundation for ICON’s community, validators and DeFi activity, offering a blockchain environment for transactions, staking and decentralized applications.
Over time, the foundation said the market’s needs changed, with liquidity, execution and user experience becoming more pressing challenges than settlement itself.
Migration timeline moves into its final phase
The foundation said the shutdown is the last step in a broader transition that has already moved ICON’s economic activity toward SODAX, a cross-chain execution and liquidity system operating across more than 18 blockchain networks.
Under the latest schedule, validators are expected to vote in May 2026 on the proposed shutdown, formally retiring ICON at the end of the year. ICX holders have been asked to keep a small balance of Sonic’s native S token for future transactions and migrate through SODA Exchange before the final deadline.
The company said users who have already migrated do not need to take further action, while remaining ICX balances on centralized exchanges are expected to be converted to SODA once those platforms adopt the migration.
Earlier shutdown plan paved the way
The update follows ICON Network’s economic shutdown in March, when staking rewards and token emissions ended as part of a planned wind-down. The network has remained live in maintenance mode to support transfers and migration, with consensus handled by a reduced validator set.
SODAX has since become the project’s main focus, offering swap, staking and liquidity tools tied to the new SODA token. Earlier guidance said ICX holders could migrate to SODA at a 1:1 ratio, with SODAX Stake and Pool designed to redirect activity into the new ecosystem.
SODAX becomes the new focus
The latest update comes as SODAX expands its role as the successor to ICON’s infrastructure. The foundation said SODAX has already supported integrations with Bound Exchange, formerly radFi, and Houdini Swap, while also gaining acceptance into the Circle alliance.
For ICON, the shutdown closes the chapter on its standalone Layer 1. For SODAX, it concentrates resources around a newer cross-chain model aimed at routing liquidity, lending and borrowing across multiple networks.