Messaging platform Telegram is making issues official with TON—once more.
On Tuesday, Telegram and The Open Community Basis introduced an exclusivity deal that may require Telegram mini apps (together with video games) with crypto integrations to make use of TON, with Telegram additionally offering numerous advantages to tasks that make the most of the community.
“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 Basis President Guide Stotz informed 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.”
Telegram is the unique creator of TON, which was initially often known as the Telegram Open Community, however dumped the mission in 2020 resulting from regulatory scrutiny. Growth continued externally through a neighborhood of builders, who finally launched TON as The Open Community.
During the last yr and a half, Telegram and TON have more and more turn into intertwined once more. A TON Pockets app launched on Telegram, serving to to gasoline a wave of tap-to-earn crypto video games that collectively attracted tons of of hundreds of thousands of gamers, led by Hamster Kombat and Notcoin.
Moreover, Telegram started paying channel operators a lower of advert income through Toncoin (TON), and launched an in-app Telegram Stars foreign money that may be redeemed for TON. Earlier this month, Telegram revealed plans to let customers mint in-app stickers as tradable NFTs on TON.
With this settlement, nevertheless, Telegram and TON are now not simply aligned however now joined on the hip. Telegram mini apps and video games which have utilized different networks, reminiscent of Sui or Aptos, will likely be required emigrate over to TON and the TON Join protocol to retain crypto performance.
“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 clarified to Decrypt, including 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.”
The TON Basis will supply grants for tasks that migrate inside a 30-day window, with grants ranging as much as $50,000 relying on viewers measurement. Tasks that beforehand acquired assist from the Basis will likely be ineligible.
The announcement comes at some point after President Donald Trump returned to the White Home following a pro-crypto marketing campaign, with a regulatory shakeup within the works as SEC Chair Gary Gensler and different crypto business antagonists depart. Requested in regards to the timing of the information, Stotz didn’t allude to the U.S. political shifts, however pointed to the lengthy alignment between the events.
“It’s a natural and strategic alignment,” he informed Decrypt. “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.”