TON and Telegram: An Altcoin for Millions of Users

02.09.2025

The integration of Toncoin into Telegram in August 2025 became a turning point for the entire crypto industry. Within just a few weeks, the TON ecosystem gained access to an audience of one billion people, and user activity exceeded even the boldest expectations. Today, the TON ecosystem hosts over 45 million wallets, about 1.8 million of which actively transact each month. Forecasts suggest that by the end of 2025 this figure could grow to 16–20 million. More than forty thousand new addresses are activated daily, and the number of transactions reaches tens of millions. The key growth catalyst has been the Mini-Apps inside Telegram. This is a full ecosystem of mini-applications embedded in the messenger, where users can pay for goods and services, use DeFi tools, buy and sell NFTs, and play games. This format makes cryptocurrency part of the familiar user experience: the wallet is just a few clicks away, and payments can be made as easily as sending a message. Thanks to this, about 10% of all Telegram users — roughly one hundred million people — have already activated wallets. A rapidly growing stablecoin market also plays a crucial role in TON’s development. More than half a billion dollars in USDT is circulating on the TON blockchain, alongside new assets such as gold-backed XAUt. This makes the system attractive not only to retail users but also to institutional investors. For instance, Ton Strategy Company has accumulated about 8.5% of the total TON supply and earns steady income from staking, creating a foundation of long-term trust in the project. Liquidity is further enhanced by listings on major platforms. At the end of August, Toncoin was added to Robinhood, opening access to 26.7 million investors. In the very first days of trading, transaction volumes surged by hundreds of millions of dollars, giving a significant boost to the coin’s price. However, growth also brings risks. Despite impressive wallet and transaction metrics, the total value locked in TON’s DeFi sector has declined compared to last year, while a large share of coins remains concentrated in the hands of major holders. This creates risks of volatility and market pressure. Moreover, regulatory uncertainty in the U.S. and Europe may slow down TON’s expansion as a global settlement system. Even so, the overall trend is clear: TON is becoming the first cryptocurrency truly embedded into a social platform. With its billion-strong audience, Telegram is transforming from a messenger into a full-fledged Web3 entry point. If growth continues, by 2026 the TON ecosystem could rival the largest blockchains, and the coin itself has every chance of breaking into the top five by market capitalization.