This article is pretty speculative. There's no way that ICANN is going to let the .io domain just become defunct.

Maybe. But, keep in mind they have deleted other ccTLDs in the past. Under their bylaws, they may not have any choice.

Five times ICANN deleted a ccTLD, and what it means for .io - Domain Incite

With the future of .io coming into question this week, with the news that the UK will return sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius, I thought it would be a good time to see ho...