Story announced today that the initial unlocking of all locked $IP tokens—including the initial unlock and subsequent vesting-based releases—will be postponed by six months, applicable to all investors, team members, and insiders. 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 alignment with the community's interests and solidifying the network's economic foundation. It also reflects the company's continued focus on long-term consistency, network health, and disciplined governance in the face of a challenging macroeconomic and market environment.
This adjustment follows the implementation of SIP-00009 and SIP-00010. These two proposals recalibrated the token emission pacing and staking incentive mechanisms to support a more sustainable token economic structure as the network matures.
In summary, these proposals substantially advance Story's token economics model toward long-term sustainability: staking rewards for locked tokens have been significantly reduced, thereby lowering emissions from tokens not yet in circulation; simultaneously, incentives are increasingly skewed towards active staking participation using unlocked tokens. Furthermore, by lowering staking thresholds and associated fees, staking participation becomes more accessible to a wider range of community members. The combined effects are: a more restrained token issuance structure, a healthier staking distribution, and lower inflationary pressures as the network matures.
Delaying token unlocking complements the aforementioned adjustments, helping to ensure that new liquidity enters the system in a more gradual manner and keeps pace with a more disciplined emissions model and broader community engagement.
“From the very beginning of Story, our mission has been to build the foundational infrastructure for programmable intellectual property,” the company said. “This mission has remained unchanged, but our understanding of the areas with the greatest growth potential and the conditions required for long-term success has also deepened.”
Since its launch, Story has witnessed the emergence of new use cases and the accelerated pace of industry development, especially in the intersection of IP and AI. These changes continue to influence the company's prioritization of product development, partnerships, and market expansion strategies, helping Story move towards product-market fit, sustainable revenue, and long-term network growth.
What changes have occurred?
● Original unlock date: February 13, 2026
● Unlock date after update: August 13, 2026
This adjustment only applies to previously locked team, investor, and early contributor tokens.
The following items remain unchanged:
●Total token supply
●Personal Token Allocation Ratio
● Vesting Plan
●Legal ownership of tokens
Impact on circulation supply
Under the updated timeline, locked tokens will be unlocked gradually over a longer period, with the total allocation and vesting terms remaining unchanged. The practical effect is that the growth rate of circulating supply will be more gradual during the extended period. It should be noted that specific changes in circulating supply may still be affected by network activity, staking participation, and other factors.
To ensure consistent enforcement of the updated unlock date, Story has introduced a neutral, automated smart contract mechanism to technically enforce the new locking terms. Regardless of whether the relevant technology licensing is completed, the original locking obligations remain legally binding.
The Story Foundation or any other entity will not have custody of the relevant wallets, nor will they have the authority to transfer tokens.
"Our responsibility is to move beyond 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 that governance decisions should focus on strengthening the long-term robustness of the system, rather than amplifying short-term fluctuations. Ultimately, the market rewards discipline, not emotional reactions," the statement concluded.
About Story
Story is an AI-native blockchain network dedicated to serving as the foundational layer for the traceability, licensing, and economics of AI data and models. Leveraging its $IP token, Story enables datasets, models, and AI-generated content to be registered as intellectual property, allowing for programmable licensing and commercialization with built-in attribution mechanisms.
Story secured $136 million in funding 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 intellectual property (IP) into the data and model lifecycle, Story provides the necessary trust mechanisms and economic foundation for the responsible scaling of AI systems across enterprises, developers, and global markets.
