At the end of May, ICN (Impossible Cloud Network) @ICN_Protocol announced strategic investment from NGP Capital, achieving a valuation of $470 million. Many people’s first reaction was, 'Did Xiaomi invest in Web3?' Although this was not a direct move by Lei Jun, the investor was a hardcore fund that had previously backed Xiaomi, Helium, and WorkFusion—NGP Capital, which means ICN is not just a project telling stories, but a real infrastructure player recognized by traditional hardcore capital.


 I. What is ICN? Why is it favored by long-termist institutions? 
ICN is positioned as a full-stack decentralized cloud, committed to building the infrastructure layer of a decentralized internet, a permissionless, composable cloud platform that integrates storage, computing, and networking. It not only provides Web2-level performance and experience but also features Web3's anti-censorship and community-driven characteristics, challenging the monopoly of centralized giants like AWS and Google Cloud.



➡️ This is not an abstract vision, but a project that has already been realized in the European market:

  • Revenue strength: In 2024, ICN has achieved an annual revenue of $5 million, serving over 1,000 enterprise clients, with a growth rate exceeding 2000%. Reserve orders exceed 250PB, with real-time operational storage of 50PB, processing 20 to 50 million files daily, demonstrating real market validation.

  • Leading position in Europe: As the fastest-growing cloud service provider in Europe, ICN was founded by serial entrepreneurs, with founder Kai Wawrzinek having NASDAQ listing experience from Goodgame Studios, and the team has secured $31 million in financing (from 1kx, Protocol Labs, etc.).

  • Community and nodes: With over 250,000 community members and over 220,000 testnet users, its HyperNode + SLA Oracle model incentivizes participation through a decreasing reward structure (18.4% released in the first month), with node sales income exceeding $12 million.

  • Future plans: The mainnet and $ICNT token are expected to launch in Q2 2025, with several centralized exchanges confirmed to support it, and the brand is active in global events such as PBW and Token2049.


Unique highlight: ICN is referred to as 'the AWS of Web3', not only because of its full-stack architecture but also because it achieved commercial results before the token issuance. Compared to the closed systems of Web2 giants, ICN provides an anti-censorship, low-threshold alternative; compared to other DePIN projects, ICN's multi-business integration and B2B verification are more competitive.

II. Comparison of ICN with other DePIN projects and economic models

Compared to 'point projects' that focus solely on a single resource (such as Filecoin limited to storage, Akash/IO.net focusing on computing power), ICN has chosen a more difficult yet higher value route – to create a unified architecture, modular composable 'decentralized AWS':

In addition, the dual-layer structure of HyperNode + SLA Oracle proposed by ICN has refreshed the node model, encouraging the community to participate in platform construction through 'contributing resources for profit sharing', opening up avenues for future B2C expansion.

Economic model:

$ICNT has a total supply of 700 million (700,000,000), expected to be gradually released over 60 months (5 years). Node rewards, ecological development, and team allocation all adopt a decreasing or linear release method to avoid excessive short-term sell pressure, with no unlocking for the team and investors in the first 12 months, reflecting a long-term commitment.


III. Outlook for the next phase of the DePIN track
The DePIN track is transitioning from single functionality (such as storage, computing power) to full-stack infrastructure. ICN has seized this trend, especially as AI and data services demand higher requirements for computing power and architecture. Decentralized cloud, due to its cost-effectiveness, strong elasticity, and high controllability, has become the 'water, electricity, and coal' of Web3, an indispensable infrastructure.
 

ICN's potential:

  • Full-stack vision: The integrated design of storage + computing + networking makes ICN a 'one-stop' solution for developers and enterprises, potentially supporting decentralized AI, social scenarios, and more in the future.

  • Community-driven: Through node dividends and the $ICNT token, ICN drives B2C growth, similar to the grassroots model of the Bitcoin miner community.

  • Challenging Web2 giants: ICN's ultimate goal is to compete with AWS and Alibaba Cloud, providing enterprise-level services in a decentralized way to avoid censorship and lock-in risks.

 
Conclusion: The cloud of Web3 should not be defined by Web2 giants.
What ICN is promoting is a somewhat quieter 'infrastructure revolution'. It is not about improving a single functional module but rather rebuilding the entire underlying technology. It makes people rethink: Shouldn't a decentralized world also have its own AWS?
We have all witnessed Xiaomi's investment story, and today, its investors are writing a new chapter in Web3.

⏰ The project's TGE is imminent, here are some participation angles for reference: The previous Galxe galaxy mission has ended, you can pay attention to the HyperNode plan and participate in low-threshold node construction; or participate in social media posts, log in to the official website: https://world.icn.global/ select the country, link your wallet and Twitter, try to use an old wallet because it involves the anti-witch Github score test, remember to tag #ICNTWorldDomination when posting.


Those interested can follow the official Twitter @ICN_Protocol or the Chinese Twitter @ICN_China for further updates on the Q2 mainnet and token.