Pavel Durov announced on May 4 that Telegram is taking a direct operational role in The Open Network (TON), and markets reacted quickly: Toncoin jumped sharply on the news.
What Durov said
- Telegram will replace the TON Foundation as the “main force” behind The Open Network and become TON’s largest validator, Durov wrote, linking the move to lower fees and a stronger technical roadmap.
- “Fees in TON have dropped 6× — to nearly zero,” he added, and said the project will refocus on “tech superiority.”
- Telegram expects to roll out a new website, developer tools and performance upgrades within “2–3 weeks,” placing those changes in late May 2026 based on the May 4 timing.
Market impact
- Toncoin (TON) rose from roughly $1.35 to nearly $1.80 after the announcement. At press time it was trading near $1.82, up about 28.1% over 24 hours.
- Daily trading volume was about $632.75 million, and market capitalization sat near $4.8 billion, pushing TON into the top 25 crypto assets during the rally.
Key unknowns and implications
- Telegram has not yet explained how its validator role will operate, what stake it will run, or how the TON Foundation’s responsibilities will change following the shift.
- Becoming the largest validator can speed upgrades and reduce costs, but it also raises questions about centralization and governance transparency. The specifics of Telegram’s technical and governance plans will be crucial to assess the long-term implications for decentralization and network security.
How this fits Telegram’s broader TON push
- This move continues Telegram’s steady integration with TON. Earlier coverage highlighted that TON features—Telegram’s wallet, digital gifts and social NFT tools—have been woven into the messaging app to drive consumer use.
- TON’s strategy has emphasized leveraging Telegram’s large user base (wallets, payments, gifts and asset transfers) to attract developers and users, in addition to improving the protocol itself.
- In April, Wallet in Telegram added perpetual contract trading across metals, stocks, oil and crypto via Lighter’s infrastructure, offering more than 50 markets directly inside the app.
What to watch next
- Look for Telegram’s detailed validator plan, the size of any stake it will run, and formal updates on the foundation’s role.
- The promised website, developer tools and performance upgrades due in late May will be the next concrete signals of how far Telegram intends to push TON’s technical roadmap and product integrations.
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