Understanding IQ.wiki: A Decentralized Knowledge Ecosystem Built on Blockchain

The IQ.wiki Protocol: Reimagining Information Sharing

IQ.wiki represents a revolutionary approach to digital knowledge management. Rather than relying on centralized authorities to curate and control information, this blockchain-based platform enables community-driven content creation and curation. Operating on the EOS blockchain, IQ.wiki fundamentally transforms how information is created, validated, and rewarded across the web.

At its core, IQ.wiki operates as a decentralized encyclopedia where individuals holding the native IQ token possess the authority to contribute, edit, and validate content. Unlike traditional Wikipedia, which relies on a centralized editorial structure, IQ.wiki’s model distributes governance responsibilities across its token-holding community. This shift creates a more inclusive information ecosystem where anyone with credible sources can participate in knowledge creation.

The Three-Module Architecture: How IQ.wiki Maintains Quality and Integrity

The protocol’s operational framework rests on three interconnected systems: the token module, governance module, and article submission module. This tripartite structure ensures the platform remains decentralized while preventing misinformation from compromising content quality.

The system requires contributors to stake IQ tokens before submitting content. Should the community approve the submission, staked tokens are returned. If content fails quality reviews or appears biased, contributors forfeit their stake. This mechanism creates powerful incentives for accuracy and discourages low-effort or misleading contributions.

Editors thoroughly screen all submissions before acceptance. The community exercises control over which content receives approval through voting, ensuring that controversial or biased pieces face scrutiny before publication. This balance between openness and quality control sets IQ.wiki apart from purely unmoderated platforms.

The IQ Token: Powering Governance, Rewards, and Participation

IQ tokens function as the economic backbone of the entire ecosystem. Currently, the total supply stands at 21 billion tokens, with a circulating supply of approximately 24.5 billion tokens in circulation according to latest data. Notably, the maximum supply cap of 21 billion was deliberately chosen to mirror Bitcoin’s scarcity model. This decision came about when the community voted in 2021 to reduce the maximum supply from its original 100 billion limit.

The token distribution reflects the protocol’s founding philosophy. During the 2018 launch, 51% of tokens were distributed as an airdrop to EOS token holders, while the remaining 49% were allocated to IQ.wiki and its investor base. This broad initial distribution helped establish a decentralized holder base from inception.

How IQ Tokens Generate Value: Multiple Use Cases

Incentivizing Quality Content Creation

Contributors and editors earn IQ tokens for their work. The protocol distributes a portion of platform fees to creators and editors as compensation. Token holders vote every half-hour on which contributions merit rewards, ensuring only high-quality work receives compensation. This creates a virtuous cycle where quality contributors earn recognition while low-effort submissions go unrewarded.

Governance and Community Decision-Making

IQ holders can stake tokens to obtain voting power proportional to their holdings and staking duration. This voting power determines their influence over protocol changes, fund allocations, and strategic decisions. Voters can redirect tokens toward developer funds, bug bounties, or other community initiatives. If no rewards are approved during a half-hour cycle, no new tokens are created—supply remains constant.

Passive Income Through Staking

HiIQ, the platform’s dedicated staking product, allows IQ holders to lock tokens and earn staking rewards. Longer staking periods generate higher returns, incentivizing long-term participation. Beyond token rewards, HiIQ participants receive raffle tickets for NFT collectibles. Recently, Everipedia distributed $120,000 worth of NFTs to stakers through a collaboration with the “Supernormal” project.

Speculation and Trading

IQ tokens are traded across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges, allowing speculators to profit from price movements. The token’s availability across multiple blockchain networks (EOS and Ethereum) and compatibility with various wallets increases accessibility.

The IQ.wiki Ecosystem: Products Beyond the Encyclopedia

PredIQt: Decentralized Prediction Markets

PredIQt enables users to speculate on future events across politics, business, sports, and finance. Participants purchase shares representing specific outcomes. Correct predictions earn IQ token rewards. Users can liquidate their positions if market sentiment shifts. The platform also includes PredIQt Earn, a lending protocol similar to AAVE that will enable peer-to-peer IQ token lending and borrowing at competitive interest rates.

Future iterations will introduce PredIQt Smart Assets, allowing users to collateralize IQ tokens to mint synthetic assets (iqBTC, iqETH, etc.). These synthetics can be traded, borrowed, lent, or held for leverage exposure.

OraQle: Bringing Real-World Data On-Chain

IQ.wiki’s oracle solution delivers verified information from trusted sources directly to smart contracts. Its significance became apparent when the Associated Press selected it to publish U.S. Presidential Election results on-chain in November 2020—a historic first for blockchain-based political data. Subsequently, AP utilized OraQle to publish March Madness basketball scores on Ethereum in 2021, demonstrating the oracle’s versatility beyond politics.

HiIQ: The Staking Hub

HiIQ centralizes token staking operations, offering IQ holders flexible duration-based staking with proportional rewards. The platform’s NFT raffle system adds gamification elements, creating additional incentives for long-term participation.

Historical Development: From Dormitory Project to Global Platform

The IQ.wiki narrative begins in December 2014 when Sam Kazemian and Theodor Forselius founded Everipedia in their UCLA dormitory room. Both were motivated by limitations they perceived in Wikipedia’s centralized model. They drew inspiration from Paul Graham’s 2008 essay advocating for diverse, innovative knowledge repositories beyond Wikipedia.

Everipedia launched as a Wikipedia fork in early 2015. Travix Moore joined as co-founder that same year, followed by Mahbod Moghadam and Christian Deciga. The project remained a traditional web platform until 2018, when the team integrated blockchain technology powered by the IQ token.

The growth trajectory proved remarkable: from a university project to a platform serving millions of daily users globally. A significant milestone occurred in October 2022 when Everipedia was archived as read-only, with the protocol relaunching as IQ.wiki under new ownership and technical infrastructure. In 2024, the rebranding was formalized, establishing IQ.wiki as the protocol’s official identity.

Notable figures enhanced the project’s credibility when Dr. Larry Sanger, Wikipedia co-founder and longtime critic, joined Everipedia Inc. as Chief Information Officer in 2017. Sanger publicly expressed belief that IQ.wiki could eventually disrupt Wikipedia’s dominant position.

Investment and Strategic Partnerships

The protocol attracted significant institutional backing across multiple funding rounds. Seed funding in 2015 raised approximately $130,000 from Mucker Capital via Wefunder. A 2017 funding round secured $700,000 from various angel investors. The most substantial investment came in 2018 when Galaxy Digital’s EOS ecosystem fund contributed $30 million, validating the protocol’s long-term potential.

BrainDAO, launched in December 2021, represents an innovative partnership model. Dubbed the first Web 3.0 Metaverse Knowledge fund, BrainDAO connects blockchain infrastructure with real-world information while building a decentralized fund dedicated to knowledge creation and preservation.

Market Position: Competition and Strategic Differentiation

Competitive Landscape

Wikipedia remains IQ.wiki’s primary competitor, though the legacy platform retains significantly more users. However, IQ.wiki demonstrated impressive growth, accumulating over 3 million monthly active users by 2017. As the Web3 ecosystem expands, competitors emerge from different niches.

The Graph (GRAPH), an indexing protocol for decentralized data validation, represents a potential competitor in the broader information verification space. However, The Graph serves different functions—indexing and validating external data sources rather than curating original content. Other blockchain projects focus on animated media content, leaving IQ.wiki relatively unopposed in decentralized text-based knowledge curation.

Strengths and Advantages

IQ.wiki’s decentralized architecture eliminates single points of failure while enabling diverse content creation. The economic incentive model—rewarding creators with tokens—contrasts sharply with Wikipedia’s all-volunteer structure. The platform’s suitability for Web3 applications positions it as infrastructure for next-generation internet services. Ecosystem products like PredIQt, OraQle, and HiIQ create network effects and cross-product engagement.

Challenges and Vulnerabilities

Decentralization creates content quality risks. The protocol has faced criticism for promoting biased perspectives. In October 2017, an editor’s misinformation regarding a Las Vegas mass shooting perpetrator spread widely before correction, damaging an innocent individual’s reputation. While the protocol strengthened approval processes subsequently, the underlying tension between openness and curation persists.

Additionally, evolving media consumption preferences pose long-term challenges. Declining attention spans and preference for video over text content may diminish encyclopedia relevance. The platform must continuously innovate to maintain user engagement in an increasingly multimedia-focused digital landscape.

Technical Specifications and Data Points

Token Supply Metrics:

• Total Supply: 21,000,000,000 IQ
• Current Circulating Supply: 24,541,959,527 IQ
• Maximum Supply Cap: 60,000,000,000 IQ

Blockchain Foundation: IQ.wiki operates on the EOS blockchain while maintaining cross-chain compatibility with Ethereum. This multi-chain strategy ensures broader accessibility for users across different blockchain ecosystems.

Strategic Roadmap and Future Development

The protocol continues expanding beyond its encyclopedia core. PredIQt Earn will introduce lending mechanics, enabling users to borrow against IQ holdings for yield generation. The upcoming Smart Assets feature will enable synthetic asset creation, broadening the protocol’s appeal to traders and sophisticated DeFi participants.

Notably, the IQ.wiki team maintains commitment to preventing artificial limitations on token utility within the ecosystem. Rather than restricting IQ applications, developers actively explore new use cases and integrations.

Practical Implementation: Acquiring, Storing, and Utilizing IQ Tokens

Purchase Channels: IQ tokens are available on multiple cryptocurrency exchanges supporting diverse payment methods including fiat transfers, credit/debit cards, and cryptocurrency swaps. Cross-chain availability provides flexibility in selecting preferred platforms.

Storage Solutions:

Centralized Exchange Wallets: Most users store tokens directly on exchange platforms where purchased. This offers convenience and recovery options if credentials are lost.

Software Wallets: Ethereum-compatible wallets like Metamask and EOS-compatible wallets like Exodus support IQ token storage across both blockchains.

Hardware Wallets: For maximum security, hardware wallets supporting ETH or EOS protocols provide offline storage. While costlier and technically demanding, they represent the industry-standard security approach.

Staking Participation: All IQ holders can access HiIQ staking pools, earning token rewards or NFT collectibles based on stake duration and amount. The simplicity of participation encourages broader community engagement.

Key Distinctions: What Separates IQ.wiki From Traditional Alternatives

The fundamental difference from Wikipedia lies in governance architecture. Wikipedia employs centralized editorial boards and administrators making content decisions. IQ.wiki distributes these decisions across decentralized token holders, eliminating gatekeeping power while creating economic incentives for quality contribution.

Content variety represents another distinguishing factor. Wikipedia’s scope focuses on established, broadly-recognized topics. IQ.wiki accommodates a broader repertoire, enabling coverage of emerging technologies, alternative perspectives, and niche subjects lacking Wikipedia’s editorial approval.

Economic models diverge significantly. Wikipedia relies on donations and volunteer contributions. IQ.wiki compensates creators with token rewards, attracting professional contributors and incentivizing consistent participation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does IQ.wiki originate from Wikipedia? IQ.wiki was founded as a fork of Wikipedia by developers seeking to create an alternative emphasizing decentralization and creator incentivization. While maintaining similar encyclopedia functionality, it operates independently on blockchain infrastructure.

What determines IQ token’s total supply? The 21 billion maximum supply was deliberately chosen to parallel Bitcoin’s scarcity model. The community voted to reduce this cap from the original 100 billion in 2021, reflecting protocol maturation and conscious supply management.

Who created the IQ.wiki protocol? Sam Kazemian and Theodor Forselius founded the original Everipedia project in 2014. Additional co-founders including Travix Moore, Mahbod Moghadam, and Christian Deciga joined in 2015. The protocol continues under IQ.wiki’s rebranded identity.

Where can IQ tokens be staked? HiIQ serves as the primary staking platform, enabling token holders to earn passive income through various duration-based pools while potentially receiving NFT rewards.

What makes IQ.wiki uniquely positioned in blockchain? IQ.wiki represents the first major successful effort to integrate comprehensive human knowledge onto blockchain infrastructure. Its expansion into prediction markets, oracles, and staking demonstrates commitment to becoming a complete information and financial ecosystem rather than a single-use platform.

What are realistic use cases for IQ.wiki participation? Users can stake tokens for passive income, create and edit encyclopedia content for token compensation, use prediction markets to speculate on future events, participate in governance decisions, collect NFT rewards, or simply browse information freely.