TON, the blockchain integrated into Telegram, aims to become the first everyday blockchain by 2027, seamlessly blending Web3 into the Web2 user experience.
Tracy Jin, chief operating officer of MEXC, suggests that while Ethereum remains central to DeFi and smart contract innovation, its mass adoption has been limited due to complexity, fragmentation, and cost. TON is pursuing a different approach within Telegram’s ecosystem.
With over 900 million users, Telegram is a significant active social layer in the crypto space, and TON is the only blockchain natively embedded within it. The focus is on integrating Web3 into the user experience rather than just building decentralized applications.
Conceived in 2018, TON was designed to integrate blockchain technology into Telegram. By 2024, the ecosystem saw growth, boosted by Tether’s launch of USDt on the chain in May.
In March, a wallet upgrade added trading and TON staking for Telegram Wallet users. Over the past two years, TON has introduced infrastructure such as TON DNS, TON Storage, and TON Proxy, supporting decentralized domains, storage, and privacy solutions.
TON has onboarded millions to Web3 by leveraging Telegram’s user base, with over 150 million accounts created. The network averages 2 million daily transactions, and there are approximately 2 million active monthly wallets.
TON focuses on providing users with familiar tools, with crypto operating in the background. Telegram Wallet allows users to use tokens within chats, channels, games, and P2P experiences. The goal is effortless crypto onboarding, abstracting away gas fees and private key storage.
The next wave of retail-focused blockchain adoption will be driven by chains that abstract complexity and offer fast, inexpensive integration into existing Web2 platforms. Ethereum faces scaling challenges, and other next-generation chains lack a Web2 distribution channel. TON, with its Telegram integration, addresses these challenges.
Mini Apps, such as Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, and Catizen, are onboarding millions of users to blockchain infrastructure. These apps demonstrate scalable, low-friction Web3. While Ethereum aims to onboard a billion users, TON is doing it through memes, microtransactions, and simple interactions. Ethereum apps require browser extensions and understanding of gas mechanics, creating barriers for mainstream users. Solana and BNB Chain rely on external wallets and Web3 onboarding flows, while TON bypasses these frictions.
TON’s rise aligns with a shift in the crypto industry toward self-custody, interoperability, and fluid UX. While Layer-2 solutions scale Ethereum, TON is building within a native interface. The crypto community is experiencing fatigue from complex UX, speculative volatility, and fragmented onboarding. TON leverages the Mini App format, popularized in Asia via platforms like WeChat.
TON has demonstrated resilience; it continued to operate independently during Pavel Durov’s arrest in 2024, indicating decentralization. Telegram is also preparing for scenarios to ensure infrastructure isn’t reliant on a single entity.
Based on current adoption rates, TON could reach over 2.6 million daily active users in 2026 and surpass 10 million by 2027. Two years ago, the number was under 40,000. Ethereum has approximately 420,000 daily active accounts, while Solana’s growth has been driven by airdrops and memecoin activity.
TON’s growth is based on embedded habits like tipping, gaming, and payments within a familiar interface. Telegram is a crypto-friendly app and the world’s fourth-most popular messenger app, powering its Mini Apps with TON.
If TON expands into the US market, it could gain millions of users from platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. The American market is competitive and regulated, but TON’s UX, mobile-first design, and Telegram integration could provide an advantage. TON aims to position itself as a platform for creators, micro-transactions, and native monetization, potentially unlocking a market historically dominated by Ethereum.
By 2027, Ethereum may lead in DeFi, and Solana may dominate onchain liquidity and trading. TON aims to own the everyday layer of the internet, becoming a blockchain people use without conscious effort, integrated into their daily apps.
Tracy Jin, chief operating officer of MEXC, emphasizes that this information is for general purposes and not legal or investment advice. The views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.
