$IQ launched as a pure meme coin exactly 1 year ago to this day. It started as an experiment in rallying community around vibey ASCII art. Along the way, @Im_zo_sol discovered a novel method of storing data on the blockchain that was 2000X cheaper than current standards. She went down the rabbit hole, patented the tech and has been hunkered down in her bunker, building ever since. Over time, a team formed around her. @12g8ge became co-founder. @0sumTX and @spacebuneth joined as devs. @CarolusBonque, @Keirl_ and @Horiko_IQ on the biz side. And more. From the meme coin pool of infinite rugs, and infinite possibility, spawned a unique vision, novel tech and a committed team that knew it was meant for more than capitulation. Even in the earliest days we felt it deeply in our bones that $IQ was worth fighting for. Our north star is building out the Solana Internet: a fully onchain ecosystem of apps, media and assets that are onchain, decentralized, permissionless, trustless. We do this to enable the blockchain tech stack to realize its full, Satoshi-aligned, potential. We do this to enable ourselves as humans to realize our full potential. What can we do with maximum decentralization? Maximum composability? What novel value can we create? What happens when the value in a network actually gets pushed to the edges, vs. being centralized at the core? And so, on this day, the 1 year anniversary of the $IQ token’s launch, we come together to recognize how far we have come, and how much further we have to go. What began as ASCII art has evolved into a full on protocol: - Enabling the easy deployment of onchain SQL-powered databases from which entire worlds can be spun up. - Enabling onchain storage to be cost effective at scale. - Enabling ownership of truly native onchain assets. And so much more. All this from a humble sh*tcoin. Yet we have emerged from the evolutionary tide pool, overcoming the onchain minefield to walk on land, and soon enough, to soar through the air. On this day we celebrate the $IQ team, which has spent a year building without compensation. Fully bootstrapped, like crazy pirate builders tinkering on their ship, true mad scientists, committed to the cause. We celebrate our community who has been with us through the hype of the AI x crypto wave late last year into our recent migration to our fresh token $IQ. We salute you. We appreciate you. We see you. The journey continues. We celebrate our partners and those builders and devs in the Solana ecosystem and beyond who see the vision and have opened their doors to provide support. They say, “the next big thing will start out looking like a toy.” For $IQ, this couldn’t be more true. Begin with ASCII art, evolve into creating a thriving onchain ecosystem of novel value and utility. Happy 1st birthday $IQ. 🥳 Here’s to a strong beginning and a blazing future. Have a nice day, and please remember to code in. 💚
