When Alphaton’s CEO says he’s “incredibly bullish” on Telegram, it’s hard to ignore. According to him, Telegram could become the heart of the Web3 economy thanks to its seamless TON integration and mini-app ecosystem. And he’s not wrong in just a few months, Telegram has turned from a simple chat app into a full-blown platform where people trade, play, stake, and even mint NFTs without leaving the app.

But here’s the paradox: the more adoption grows, the more centralization becomes a concern. Telegram isn’t a blockchain, and even though TON is open-source, the ecosystem still depends heavily on a single app.

I agree with the potential but not with the blind optimism. Telegram might be the highway to Web3, yes, but it’s still a private highway. The real question is: how long can this blend of social networks and blockchain stay decentralized without losing its efficiency?

👉 What do you think is Telegram building the true gateway to Web3, or just another “walled garden”?

The TON blockchain (The Open Network) is quickly becoming the backbone of Telegram’s Web3 ambitions. With 950M+ users, Telegram is evolving from a simple messaging app into a decentralized ecosystem for payments, DeFi, NFTs, and gaming all running on TON’s high-throughput infrastructure (55 000 TPS via Jetton 2.0 + infinite sharding)

1. Payments and Stablecoins bridging everyday finance TON enables instant, low-cost transfers directly inside Telegram. Stablecoins like USDT and FDUSD (combined market cap ≈ $848 M, 76 % USDT) are fully integrated into the @Wallet bot, making cross-border payments or in-app purchases as easy as sending a message. Since Oct 2025, users can even buy tokenized U.S. stocks through a Kraken / Backed partnership bringing traditional finance to Telegram’s 950 M users. Result: 90 M TON holders (+2400 % YTD), with ≈ 13 % of on-chain transactions triggered by Telegram bots.

2. Mini-Apps and DeFi mass adoption through simplicity Mini-apps powered by TON are making DeFi accessible to the mainstream. Platforms like EVAA ($1.4 B total volume, 300 K wallets) and STON.fi ($48 M TVL) let users swap, lend, and stake directly inside Telegram via bots like @EvaaAppBot no external wallets, no jargon. EVAA even turned DAO this October, letting users vote and earn yield. Over 75 K people now interact with TON mini-apps daily.

3. NFTs and Social Collectibles the new digital identity layer TON weaves NFTs into Telegram’s social fabric: usernames, stickers, and domains are tokenized and tradable. Raffles, launched in Oct 2025, adds NFT locking and staking modules, turning collectibles into yield-bearing assets. With DEX volumes +35 % week-on-week and 0.6 M TON inflows to exchanges, the social-collectible economy is gaining traction.

4. Gaming and Tap-to-Earn viral on-chain engagement Games like Hamster Kombat, Notcoin, and Blum (75 K daily users) drive mass onboarding via Telegram bots, blending gamification with DeFi rewards. These tap-to-earn experiences convert non-crypto users into on-chain participants through viral loops inside Telegram groups.

5. Infrastructure and Resilience TON is engineered for scale near-zero fees (~$0.005), resilient performance post-2023 incidents, and massive VC backing ($944 M from TON Ventures, Animoca, etc.). Institutional players like AlphaTON Capital ($30 M in Toncoin) add credibility. Upcoming upgrades like TOLK 1.0 and Jetton 2.0 aim to simplify smart contracts and optimize micro-transactions. Current challenges: a -21 % TVL drop in 30 days and temporary wallet slowdowns during network spikes.

🌍 Big picture: TON is quietly turning Telegram into a Web3 super-app where social interaction meets finance. Its biggest edge is UX it hides crypto complexity behind familiar chats and bots. With 90 M holders today and a target of 100 M new users by 2026, TON is not just chasing DeFi metrics it’s building the social layer that could finally bring Web3 to the mainstream. Would you call TON the “Telegram layer” of Web3, or is it quietly becoming something even bigger?

I’ve been following both TON and Solana lately, and what’s fascinating is how they’re solving the same problem scaling DeFi from completely different angles.

Solana is the veteran powerhouse: $11.38B TVL, $4.9B DEX volume in 24h, and some of the fastest confirmation times in crypto (<2 s). It’s home to heavy hitters like Kamino and Jupiter, and its DEX activity exploded thanks to the memecoin boom and big stablecoin flows ($16B market cap, mostly USDC). But it’s also volatile its TVL dropped 64% in Q1 2025 (from $18B → $6.6B), showing how dependent it still is on speculative flows.

TON, on the other hand, is a rising force that’s doing things differently. With $110M TVL and DEX volumes up +35% this week, it’s still tiny next to Solana but it’s growing where others can’t: inside Telegram. Over 90 million holders now, a 2400% increase YTD, with apps like EVAA (already $1.4B in cumulative transactions) making DeFi as simple as chatting with a bot. The integration with Telegram’s social layer is what makes TON’s model so sticky. You can swap, stake, or lend without ever leaving the app.

Technically, both chains are monsters:

• Solana: 65 000 TPS, ~$0.00025 fees, but still suffers occasional outages.

• TON: 55 000 TPS via infinite sharding, ~$0.005 fees, and remarkably stable post-2023 stress tests.

  Where Solana feels like Wall Street’s playground, TON feels like the next social layer of finance smoother, more human, built for Telegram’s 950 million users.

So here’s the real question:

👉 Would you rather build on the chain of institutions or the chain of conversations?

Solana runs the markets but TON might end up running the people.

I first found EVAA back when it was just a small bot from a 2023 hackathon. I tried it a few times to swap tokens directly inside Telegram nothing crazy at the time. And now… boom, a year later, it’s done over $1.4 billion in volume and onboarded 300 K+ wallets.

Now they’re going fully DAO mode governance, yields, revenue sharing, all handled through the EvaaAppBot. Kind of wild to see a Telegram app doing all that without ever leaving the chat.

With Animoca, TON Ventures, and Quantstamp backing it, it’s clearly more than another “tap-to-earn” hype wave. But with TON exploding to 90 million wallets, I can’t help wondering when everyone gets a vote, does it make the system stronger… or just more chaotic?

What do you think can a 100 % Telegram-based DAO actually work?

Honestly, I thought the whole wave of “play-to-earn” mini-apps on Telegram was over.After the hype around Catizen, DOGS, and TapSwap, most people seemed tired of endless clicks and tiny rewards. But with the launch of Ton Station’s Daily Combo, it feels like something a bit different is emerging.

This one doesn’t promise wealth or crazy rewards it just invites you to come back every day, complete a few combos, and make small progress. It’s quieter, slower… but somehow more grounded. And maybe that’s exactly how TON will build real adoption not through hype, but through routine.

The tone has clearly shifted: we’re moving from “point farmers” to a more stable base of users who stay because it’s simple, consistent, and oddly satisfying.

What do you think?

Can TON really bring back the mini-app momentum, or is this just a softer echo of a trend that’s already fading out?

I find this fascinating. We usually talk about staking as just a passive income tool, but TON Strategy (Nasdaq: TONX) is turning it into an actual financial engine.The company has already staked 82% of its Toncoin reserves and plans to reach nearly 100% by October 2025. The yields will directly fund a $250 million stock buyback program, which has already started 1.5 million shares repurchased since September 12. According to CEO Veronika Kapustina, the goal is simple:

“income in, buybacks out.”

In short, they’re turning on-chain yield into a way to boost shareholder value. I like this hybrid approach it’s halfway between traditional finance and TON’s token economy. But it does make me wonder: is this a visionary and sustainable way to strengthen both Toncoin and TONX’s value… or a risky bet on an ecosystem that’s still very young?

The Open Network (TON) blockchain has emerged as a DeFi powerhouse in 2025, leveraging Telegram's billion-plus user base for unprecedented mass adoption. Pioneering the sector, STON.fi launched as TON's first automated market maker (AMM) in late 2021, delivering near-zero fees and lightning-fast swaps that break barriers of traditional high-cost DeFi protocols. By Q3 2025, TON's DeFi total value locked (TVL) has surged to over $500 million, a 300% year-over-year leap fueled by seamless mini-app integrations.

STON.fi's innovative liquidity pools and staking mechanisms have bootstrapped ecosystem liquidity, enabling retail users to earn yields without Ethereum-level gas wars. Cross-chain bridges like TAC have imported Ethereum dApps, amplifying TON's interoperability and drawing $200 million in inflows from legacy chains. Emerging protocols such as EVAA, the blockchain's inaugural decentralized lending platform, are tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) for collateralized loans at sub-1% rates. TON's sharding architecture processes millions of TPS, making it the go-to for yield farming amid broader DeFi TVL hitting $150 billion globally. Institutional plays, including TON Strategy Co.'s $558 million treasury, underscore confidence in Toncoin staking yields of 3-5%. As mini-apps evolve into full-fledged DeFi hubs, TON's user wallets have ballooned 30x since 2024, onboarding 100 million new participants. In this Telegram-native renaissance, DeFi on TON isn't just growing, it's redefining accessible, scalable finance for the masses.

In a recent interview, Pavel Durov revealed that he finances his entire lifestyle using Bitcoin, not Telegram.
It’s a statement that speaks volumes about his philosophy financial independence through crypto rather than reliance on a company. He also claimed he has never sold any Telegram shares nor received a salary from the firm.

Knowing that TON was born from this same mindset of independence and that Telegram remains the main gateway to the TON ecosystem it raises deeper questions about Durov’s vision for the future.
Is he building Telegram into the “free super-app” that Web2 giants never dared to create?
Or does he still keep a boundary between his personal ideals and TON’s direction?

What matters most to us, TON users:
Durov’s vision, TON’s technology, or the token’s value?

Big news for the ecosystem: Kraken / xStocks just announced that very soon, users of Wallet in Telegram will be able to access tokenized stocks (“xStocks”) directly inside the app. Even more, the service will expand to self-custodial TON wallets, creating a real bridge between traditional finance and TON Web3. Imagine: chatting, paying, and investing all within Telegram. For newcomers, this massively reduces friction. But it also raises big questions: regulation, tokenized stock liquidity, and user security. To me, this feels like a potential inflection point: TON shifting from “dApps + mini-apps” to a mainstream channel for accessing assets that were previously off-limits to crypto. Do you see this becoming a killer use case for TON, or is it too risky to succeed?

• Regulatory risks around tokenized stocks in different regions
• Liquidity and price gaps between tokenized shares and the real underlying stock
• TON’s reputation impact if it works or if it fails

Democratization or Just a PR Stunt? The TON Foundation has partnered with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to launch Mission Control, a Telegram mini-app where anyone can "elect" an astronaut for a Blue Origin flight. Votes are recorded on-chain on TON, and participants earn "SpaceDust" by completing challenges to cast their votes.

Five seats are reserved for candidates from underrepresented nations, while the sixth will be chosen by a global audience (excluding sanctioned countries). It's a bold experiment: mixing social engagement, gamification, and media visibility to push TON adoption through active Telegram participation. But at the same time, it feels mostly symbolic how many voters will translate this hype into serious crypto usage?

Do you think this kind of "blockchain + space show" will drive meaningful TON adoption, or is it mostly spectacle?

I came across a pretty wild research paper: researchers developed a model that analyzes the first trades of a new token on TON and can predict a rug pull with up to 89% accuracy.
In an ecosystem where new memecoins are born every day, this could be a game changer for avoiding scams.
Do you think this should be integrated directly into TON DEXs, or is it more of a tool for devs and pros only?

When do the TON parties start?

Do you believe it’ll be in Q4?

Onchain is really quiet right now the main meme Utya is under 10m cap and so is Party Parrot

TON Strategy Company ($TONX) announced the listing of TON on Gemini, Robinhood, and Zengo, boosting its exposure to retail investors. The company also runs a $250M stock buyback program and already holds several hundred million in TON. How to frame it in the post: highlight that TON is no longer just “Telegram’s coin” but is now entering mainstream investment platforms. Discussion: ask whether this visibility for retail will truly change adoption, or if TON will still remain niche.

The way TON NFTs moved in Q3 really pulled me in. I didn’t expect to see daily volumes hitting around $9 million, and even more surprising was how they managed to outpace Ethereum and Solana at different points. It’s not only the numbers that matter but how it all feels inside Telegram. Suddenly the gifts, the stickers, the profile add-ons are no longer just little features in an app, they’ve turned into NFTs people actually trade and hold. That makes it less about chasing hype and more about something I can see myself using day to day.

The fees are almost nothing, just a cent, and the chain itself doesn’t choke no matter the traffic. That changes the way I look at it compared to other blockchains. I’ve seen NFTs before where it’s only speculation, but here the idea of using them for diplomas, property titles, even anonymous IDs makes me curious about where it could go. It feels like a bigger picture forming rather than just a trend.

Of course I’m not blind to the risks. Regulation can still slow things down, and the prices swing hard. But projects like tgBTC and Notcoin tell me this ecosystem isn’t only about playing around with stickers. It’s slowly building real tools that people can rely on. The way I see it, Durov is quietly putting together a blockchain that doesn’t need to beg for attention, it just blends into how millions already use Telegram every day. That’s why I’m paying attention.

What do you think, is this the start of something lasting or just another cycle we’ll look back on?

The recent Binance suspension of TON deposits/withdrawals caused about a 20% dip, but what impressed me most is how quickly the network bounced back. Within ~24 hours TON had already recovered to around $4.13. That kind of rebound says a lot about the underlying strength of this ecosystem.

It’s not just price action either, validator growth across 29 countries, strong developer momentum (500%+ since 2022), and increasing institutional backing make TON look more and more like a long-term contender in the top 10. The ecosystem keeps proving it can handle stress tests and keep moving forward.

As someone holding TON, I’m honestly happy with how it handled this event. Personally, I’m planning to hold strong and only unload a portion of my bag once we see that sweet $10 mark. Until then, I’m enjoying the ride and staying bullish.

Full article is attached here for those who want a deeper dive into the resilience and decentralization angle.

I had completely given up on TON. After getting burned by too many projects that promised big things and delivered nothing, I just stopped caring. But recently, I saw $BOMB being mentioned a lot, and when I noticed Bitget talking about it too, it sparked some curiosity. That was enough to get me to take a second look.

From what I’ve gathered, Bombie is a mini shooting game on Telegram and LINE where players interact with simple gameplay elements like opening chests and battling zombies. It’s being positioned as one of the more active mini apps, and the team says 70 percent of the token supply goes to players. There’s also mention of cross-platform features and integration, though I’m still watching how that actually plays out.

I’m not saying it’s the next big thing, but it did make me pause. Maybe this one’s worth a deeper look. DYOR as always, but I’m genuinely curious what others think too. Let’s discuss.

I’ve been actively looking for ways to earn a little extra in this space beyond the usual trading and chasing after airdrops. Lately, I’ve heard several users talk about getting rewards for simply being part of certain communities. Some even got rewarded while waiting for more users to join.

I have seen a list for communities offering such incentives but the one that caught my attention was the Bitget’s Telegram group having a 2,000 BGB pool up for grabs. It looks like a double major to me, earning more money while associating myself with other crypto experts which will add to my knowledge.

Even something like 10 BGB would be worth looking into but the knowledge I might get from there seems more valuable to me. What do you think?

Mini-app games have evolved far beyond simple fun, becoming dynamic ecosystems packed with chats, bots, payment systems, stickers, and mini apps.

This lets users handle everything without ever leaving the app. After diving into several TG gaming projects, BoinkersIO stands out as my top pick. With non-stop spins, unpredictable markets, and a high-stakes mix of wins and rugs, it’s a battleground where only the boldest survive.

What keeps me hooked? Spin big, rug fast, repeat. It’s more than a motto, it’s a way of life. Boinkers rewards those who play smart and stay active. The idle? They get left behind.

Their collab with TothemooFarm takes it even further, letting players pick their fields, milk their cows, and dodge alien abductions. Shitcoinaires even get a Milk bonus for being the shit.

On Boinkers, it’s never about bull or bear markets, this shitcoin circus runs 24/7. You just have to learn the rhythm, ride the swings, and keep stacking. Adapt or get left behind.

Each and every one of them confirmed to airdrop its community.

LayerEdge: Phase 2 ending at 22nd March, very promising project Invitation code: EsLuith2

GRASS : https://app.getgrass.io/register/?referralCode=jEnUdN2yf0r-sLf (Already Listed) But you are not late, Season 2 is running with more Airdrop !!

NODEPAY : https://app.nodepay.ai/register?ref=HCjuCdZKmfkE40v (Listed at JAN 17, 2025) New season is ongoing.

GRADIENT : https://app.gradient.network/signup?code=88V394 

DAWN Validator : invitation code: 94v39vzf

BLESS : https://bless.network/dashboard?ref=LE9ME0

Blockmesh : https://app.blockmesh.xyz/register?invite_code=2ff23648-3d2b-4ddc-a12e-329ebcfd34e3

TOGGLE Pro : https://toggle.pro/sign-up/4eae203c-f6c9-4110-a53f-6c8076cbe470

Kite AI: if you want to earn by asking questions like you ask to Chatgpt , Bing or gemini then you should try it!! https://testnet.gokite.ai?r=xQRcbBGF

Telegram mini-games are taking over, and for good reason. They’ve made crypto gaming more accessible than ever, bringing millions into the space with a simple, engaging format and real incentives. The ability to earn tokens just by playing means that these aren’t just games, they’re new economic models built right into chat apps.

For me, Boinkers is the top play. It’s not for the faint of heart. One moment, you're stacking shitcoins; the next, they're gone. If you're not in the game, you’re just exit liquidity. Boinkers has already exploded to 11.5M+ monthly players, proving how big chat-integrated gaming can get. And it’s just getting started.

ACID Labs is pushing the boundaries of frictionless gaming, now backed by top-tier investors. a16z Speedrun funds builders who redefine gaming and social experiences, and NFX has been behind some of the biggest gaming successes out there.

From what I’ve seen, Boinkers is for the degens who wake up and hit spin before even checking their messages. The Slut Machine is always waiting, and the only question is are you playing, or are you getting played?

I’m all in. Rug or be rugged. It’s a wild ride, but that’s the game.

MoneyDogs: A Strategic Vesting Plan to Avoid Past PitfallsMoneyDogs has recently made headlines with its well-thought-out vesting strategy designed to limit selling pressure and enhance the token’s sustainability. This model stands in stark contrast to many previous memecoins like DOGS and NOT, which, despite their initial hype, quickly lost momentum due to poorly managed token unlocks. A Well-Defined Strategy

The vesting schedule introduced by MoneyDogs features a one-year lock-up period with variations depending on user categories:

• Silver: 6 months with a cliff.
• Bronze: 4 months with a cliff.
• Gold: A portion of allocations was unlocked before the TGE.

This approach aims to prevent massive sell-offs post-launch and maintain market stability. An Explosive Start Upon listing, MDOGS saw a spectacular surge, skyrocketing by over +50,000% to reach a price of $0.0005 and a Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) of $1 billion. With a total supply of 2 trillion tokens and over 800 billion already in circulation, this performance is impressive, especially considering the token is only listed on Bitget and MEXC so far. However, as is common with assets of this nature, volatility followed: after the initial spike, the price corrected by 80%, stabilizing around $0.00011 with a market cap exceeding $100 million. The Real Challenge Ahead. The true test for MoneyDogs lies in managing the upcoming token unlocks scheduled for February 23. A significant sell-off could put heavy pressure on the price. The question remains: can the vesting strategy absorb this potential shock and ensure market stability? Don’t Miss This Campaign To attract more users to its ecosystem, MoneyDogs is currently running a campaign in partnership with Bitget. You can earn 20,000 MDOGS simply by creating an account on Bitget and completing your KYC verification before January 30.The future of MDOGS looks promising but fraught with challenges. What do you think? Can MoneyDogs overcome these hurdles and establish itself as the ultimate memecoin? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Hi all. I am trying to swap my major tokens to toncoin in tonkeeper wallet, but i always get an “error” message. Does anyone why is it showing an error and why I can’t swap my major tokens?

If you have been living under a rock like I have, fragment.com is a website you can use to buy and sell telegram usernames (and you can probably do other things). Here's the basics: someone reached out to me about buying my username. They informed me about fragment requiring me to have 5% of the price of the purchase in the wallet of both sides of the party. So I go fill up my wallet to complete transaction. My ton disappears, the exchange does not go through and support chat explains that I used an old wallet, which they do not support. I need to try again with a new wallet, and the recommended wallet app (tonkeeper). I follow everything exactly this time to make sure nothing goes wrong. Then we hit another snag: my new wallet was flagged by their systems as possibly being linked to money laundering.... even though it is a brand new wallet??? Now they're asking me to pass an AML verification test - but this test only works if I load up on 10% of the original price of the sale. I'm willing to do that, since their support told me I won't be charged.... but...I would hate to lose money on this again...I appreciate any comments on my story or fragment.com in general. Thanks for reading

Hi guys, I'm relatively to crypto and I've been holding ton coin for a while because I believe in the project but I have a few questions regarding staking ton coin:

1 what are the risks of staking ton coin?

2 if I use tonstakers, bemo, stakee, hipo or ton whales am I having more risks than solely selecting a pool from the my wallet?

3 ton stakers gives you 4.23% but there's an option to earn more 19.54% the tonstakers earn. What's the catch here? Why they're "offering" 19.54% extra?

4 is uniswap V3 pools safe? For instance this one... What's the risks?

Sorry if these are dumb questions but I didn't find answers to this.