Following its fundraising success during the ICO boom in 2018, the Dfinity Foundation embarked on a mission to develop a groundbreaking blockchain technology called the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP). With a team of 200 cryptographers, the foundation aimed to revolutionize the Web3 space. However, the journey for ICP encountered numerous obstacles, despite its promising potential.

The launch of the mainnet in 2021 was met with challenges, including a significant drop in the price of the ICP token due to alleged market manipulations, token unlock issues, and operational setbacks. Despite these setbacks, the underlying technology of ICP remained robust, albeit largely unnoticed by the wider Web3 community.

A turning point came between October 2023 and January 2024 when the ICP token experienced a remarkable surge of 490%, rising from $2.93 to $14.37. This resurgence attracted renewed attention to ICP's advancements, particularly its ability to host decentralized applications and AI models. The growing ICP community played a pivotal role, leading to the formation of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) and plans for a major Web3 conference series.

As part of the growing community-driven initiatives, projects like the CLOWN community and Windoge98 have emerged. The CLOWN community, initially abandoned by its creators, has been revitalized and is now actively promoting ICP-powered projects through memes and other creative means. Windoge98, on the other hand, combines retro aesthetics with meme culture to create an engaging platform on the Internet Computer, reminiscent of early Windows interfaces.

Despite its rocky start, the ICP blockchain has made significant progress in delivering on its technological promises. Integrations with key blockchain protocols and the launch of a Web3 accelerator platform have contributed to the ecosystem's growth. The upcoming ICP Community Conference (ICPCC24) serves as a platform to showcase the progress of the ICP community and highlight its potential in bringing emerging technologies like AI to Web3.