Liquid Link is a reward system for earning through DeFi activity, and the other is the AI Video Bounty.
On July 1st, IOTA launched two major initiatives focused on Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and community engagement, marking a fresh wave of energy. First up, Liquid Link, which initially launched on IOTA’s testnet back on May 9, is now officially live on the IOTA mainnet in collaboration with Swirl.
This is a liquid staking platform that rethinks how users earn passive income. Instead of locking up your tokens and waiting, IOTA holders can stake their IOTA and receive stIOTA in return. Commenting on this, Salima said, ” Learn, create, get rewarded. IOTA is building momentum.”
These liquid tokens continue to earn staking rewards while remaining usable across DeFi platforms. It’s a design aimed at improving capital efficiency, offering users the flexibility to stay liquid while still contributing to the network.
What’s more, simply holding stIOTA will soon begin earning points, and the earlier you start, the more you stack. Liquid Link also brings a points-based reward system into play, recognizing users for interacting with DeFi protocols like Swell.
Whether you’re swapping tokens, providing liquidity, or yield farming, each action adds to your Liquid Link points. These points could unlock a variety of perks in the future, ranging from yield boosts and airdrops to early access to new features.
As of now, 870 unique crypto wallet addresses have connected to Liquid Link, with five decentralized apps already integrated, offering a strong start for what’s shaping up to be a rewarding journey for active participants. Looking ahead, Liquid Link added, “More to come: we’re also planning future integrations with PoolsFinance and Virtue_Money.”
The second one, the AI Video Bounty. This platform is geared toward content creators and community members who want to bring their creativity into the IOTA ecosystem. Launched under the Ambassador Program, which has been live since early February 2025, IOTA invites creators to produce community-driven videos using generative AI, whether they’re educational tutorials, explainers, or even fun, creative shorts.
To help participants get started, IOTA is offering free training, AI credits, and a generous $1,500 prize pool for the best submissions. It’s a way to blend storytelling with cutting-edge cryptographic tech, giving creators a chance to earn recognition while helping grow the IOTA community.
IOTA has been actively rolling out community-focused initiatives to drive awareness and adoption. From the Moveathon challenge to regional hackathons like the one held in Malaysia, which brought together developers, startups, and mentors, IOTA is making real efforts to foster grassroots engagement.
One of the standout efforts includes a collaboration with CoinGecko to launch a Learn and Earn campaign, giving users the chance to educate themselves about IOTA while earning rewards.
On the product side, IOTA recently introduced an official page for its Gas Station, an innovative feature designed to let businesses cover transaction fees on behalf of users. This means users can interact with Web3 apps without needing to purchase or hold IOTA tokens, effectively removing a long-standing pain point in blockchain adoption.
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