- Telegram and the TON Foundation have reached an exclusive deal, which will see Toncoin become the only accepted crypto for Telegram’s app services
- Telegram will continue to accept Toncoin for non-fiat payments in exchange for assets and services offered by Telegram
- To maintain crypto functionality, Telegram mini apps and games that have used other networks, like Sui or Aptos, will need to switch to TON and the TON Connect protocol
The popular messaging app Telegram has announced that henceforth, The Open Network (TON–Toncoin) will become the only blockchain infrastructure for its Mini App ecosystem.
According to a statement Telegram released on January 21, 2025, Telegram and the TON Foundation have reached an exclusive deal, which will see Toncoin become the only accepted crypto for Telegram’s app services. According to the release, Telegram will continue to accept Toncoin for non-fiat payments in exchange for assets and services offered by Telegram.
“The integration of TON as the exclusive blockchain for Telegram mini-apps is a strategic step forward, strengthening TON's status as one of the world's leading blockchains,” TON Foundation President Manual Stotz said via Decrypt.
“Telegram is one of the biggest messaging apps in the world, with a global network of over 950 million active users,” he continued, “which means that this agreement represents an unparalleled opportunity for TON to be at the heart of blockchain innovation on a truly global scale.”
Recall that TON was initially developed by Telegram under the name Telegram Open Network, but the company abandoned the project in 2020 due to regulatory concerns. A community of builders carried on the development from the outside, eventually launching TON as The Open Network. Over the past year and a half, TON and Telegram have once again become increasingly entangled.
With this deal, TON and Telegram are now joined rather than merely aligned. To maintain crypto functionality, Telegram mini apps and games that have used other networks, like Sui or Aptos, will need to switch to TON and the TON Connect protocol.
“Existing wallet protocols to non-TON chains will be prohibited except for the specific purpose of allowing users to bridge assets from other blockchains,” Stotz said, adding that “to maintain a scalable and secure user experience that meets Telegram’s standards, all mini apps with cryptocurrency functionality must be based exclusively on TON blockchain.”
Stotz further explained that “It’s a natural and strategic alignment. Telegram has long advocated for open-source technology and championed the global Web3 community, and TON shares and is well-positioned to support that vision. By choosing TON as the exclusive blockchain for Telegram mini apps, Telegram can now provide a robust, reliable, and scalable solution for users and developers that can support the growth of its global network.”
Pastor may spend 20 years in jail for scamming members with crypto scheme he received ‘in a dream’
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Francier Obando Pinillo, an acclaimed pastor, may spend up to 20 years in jail for using his position to defraud members of his congregation with a crypto scheme he called Solano Fi.
Pinillo, a 51-year-old resident of the United States of America, convinced his members to ‘invest’ in the fraudulent crypto scheme, assuring them that the idea of the scheme had come to him in a dream and that it was safe.
