The launch of IOTA’s restructured mainnet has taken place, marked by a ceremonial event and the participation of 13 validators.

The Rebased protocol upgrade, one of the most significant enhancements to IOTA, is about to be launched. This update includes key changes on-chain aimed at delivering substantial benefits to users. With this Rebased protocol update, the IOTA blockchain network is progressing towards becoming a fully decentralized network utilizing delegated Proof-of-Stake. IOTA announced that 503 highly reliable validators will initiate the IOTA Rebased mainnet during a special Genesis Ceremony to guarantee a smooth transition. The IOTA Rebased will officially go live on May 5. On Thursday, the IOTA team announced it in a post on X. The team announced that IOTA Rebased is set to launch on the mainnet on May 5, 2025. The 13 selected validators will be crucial in facilitating a seamless migration of all user funds and assets. In addition to helping transfer data from the existing IOTA Stardust network to the upcoming IOTA mainnet, another important role is that each validator will autonomously generate and confirm the initial state of the new IOTA mainnet. This phase indicates an even transfer of the ultimate ledger state from the earlier IOTA Stardust network. Additionally, they are anticipated to meticulously verify all addresses and balances during the Genesis ceremony. The goal is to make certain that the transfer of IOTA tokens is done accurately and that each token can be accessed by the rightful owner of its private key, similar to the Stardust network. The Genesis ceremony will be led by 13 validators, which include the IOTA Foundation, the IOTA DLT Ecosystem Foundation, and the Tangle Ecosystem Foundation. Additional entities include DLT GREEN and P2P.