Interview | How TON plans to bring blockchain to a billion Telegram users

As soon as folk ogle what’s already imaginable in Telegram, every thing changes, says Martin Masser, Head of Recount at the TON Foundation.

The Open Network (TON) has all straight away developed from an experimental blockchain project staunch into a increasing ecosystem embedded within Telegram. With integrated wallets, funds, and mini apps, TON’s day by day tell has surged, making it blueprint to be doubtless the most few Layer-1 networks tied straight to a mainstream platform.

On the center of this expansion is Masser, who explains how TON is leveraging Telegram’s global audience to onboard the next know-how of crypto customers. “Each time I execute talks, I predict the audience who’s on Telegram, and each hand goes up,” he says. “It’s highly efficient — you’ve got already acquired this ample, active particular person base that spends time there on daily basis.”

For Masser, the charm is evident: “So from that perspective, it’s the logical blockchain for Telegram. The methodology TON is built — with sharding and scalability in mind — suits completely. You make tell of Telegram? Gargantuan. TON is the blockchain that Telegram has chosen, and it’s integrated throughout the location.”

What’s missing, he notes, is consciousness. Many customers don’t realize the ecosystem is already are dwelling. As soon as they learn about it, they’re amazed at how noteworthy they’ll execute inside Telegram with out leaving the app — from seamless funds and NFTs to casual blockchain gaming and mini apps.

Within the next interview, Masser dives into TON’s outlandish advantages, developer opportunities, and inventive initiatives, at the side of the Sera Apartment Program, a first-of-its-form neighborhood-driven situation mission accessible thru Telegram.

Crypto.data: TON’s integration with Telegram locations it in a special situation by methodology of attracting customers. How does this case search love from your perspective?

Martin Masser: Each time I execute talks, I predict the audience who’s on Telegram, and each hand goes up. That you might presumably presumably presumably also’t truly scuttle to a crypto conference and score any individual who isn’t the tell of it. That’s what makes it so highly efficient — you’ve got already acquired this ample, active particular person base that spends time there on daily basis.

It’s not only correct that folks maintain the app installed; for a range of customers, Telegram is in their top three apps. I’ve carried out this take a look at with journalists — I divulge them, “Compare your iPhone. What are your top three apps?” It’s for all time something love Chrome, Telegram, and X. That tells you the scheme central it is to folk’s digital lives.

So from that perspective, it’s the logical blockchain for Telegram. The methodology TON is built — with sharding and scalability in mind — suits completely. It’s different from different blockchains in some programs, with each pros and cons, nonetheless for me, it’s the finest memoir in crypto to notify: “You make tell of Telegram? Gargantuan. TON is the blockchain that Telegram has chosen, and it’s integrated throughout the location.”

What’s missing is consciousness. People continuously don’t comprehend it’s already there. As soon as they execute, they’re amazed by how noteworthy they’ll truly execute inside Telegram with out leaving the app.

Crypto.data: Since consciousness is missing, are there any mini apps or tell conditions you counsel?

Masser: That’s for all time a tricky question because, as any individual from the Foundation, I must look at out to not single out tasks. The final time I mentioned one I liked, folk stated I shouldn’t be considered favoring something. [laughs] But I’ll come up with just a few examples anyway.

While you like gaming, there’s loads taking place. You’ve acquired Goat Gaming, Dropy, and TON Battlegrounds, which is a first-particular person shooter built as a mini app. It loads straight inside Telegram — no downloads, no setup. That you might presumably presumably presumably also play just a few rounds and scuttle about your day.

There’s also Sixers Cricket, which appears to be like to be huge. What’s racy is that builders are beginning to search out guidelines on how to merge Telegram’s social attain with blockchain aspects love NFTs. It’s the same to how Fb once had casual games love FarmVille — you might presumably presumably also leap in for a miniature while, nonetheless now it’s on-chain.

The fundamental difference is friction. Within the ancient GameFi model, you had to connect a pockets, signal transactions, leap thru hoops — most folk dropped off sooner than even playing. On Telegram, it’s one click on. You connect your TON pockets, and likewise you’re in.

That’s the leap forward: casual, seamless blockchain gaming that feels love fashioned cellular gaming. That you might presumably presumably presumably also switch from DeFi to NFTs to funds all within one ecosystem. As a Foundation, our job now could presumably presumably be to make sure more folk ogle what’s already imaginable inside Telegram.

Crypto.data: In phrases of those games, what’s the Web3 angle? What’s the objective correct thing about having them on TON as an different of, teach, Fb or one more worn platform?

Masser: The favorite concept in the relief of blockchain gaming became that every thing you potentially did in a game would be on-chain — each switch, each click on. But that doesn’t assemble noteworthy sense in teach. You don’t need each itsy-bitsy action recorded on the blockchain.

What does assemble sense is integrating NFTs and digital collectibles in a fundamental methodology. For example, tasks love Sappy Seals maintain carried out a huge job letting folk tell collectibles throughout the game. You presumably can like optimistic Telegram stickers or NFTs that come up with an additional stage, a brand contemporary pores and skin, or just a few more probabilities in the game.

It’s about adding utility to digital items that folks already like and care about. Communities are experimenting with different models — some give collectibles away, others sell them, and some tell them for gain admission to or recognition. The point is that these NFTs truly execute something now.

We’ve acquired issues love Safe Suite, which is about to execute a mountainous sticky label sale with licensed sports IPs. They realized followers would buy digital stickers of famous cricketers, play the games more, and build an financial system around that. That’s what excites me — not NFTs for his or her like sake, nonetheless NFTs that tie into genuine engagement and tell.

Crypto.data: What about tell conditions beyond gaming? What’s something folk could presumably presumably score no doubt valuable nonetheless presumably haven’t heard about but?

Masser: I reflect the vital one is sending crypto straight thru Telegram. That you might presumably presumably presumably also send USDT or TON straight in a chat. I will literally message Alex genuine now, form “@push 1 USDT,” and send him a greenback straight.

Persons are the tell of it for easy, genuine-world issues — love splitting a restaurant invoice. Someone beneficial me they had been in Fresh York, and Revolut didn’t work, Venmo didn’t work, nonetheless each folk had USDT. I stated, “You’re each on Telegram — objective correct send it.” It’s seamless.

That’s an genuine tell case: frictionless, awful-border funds. While you’re in Croatia and I’m in London, I will send you USDT straight thru Telegram. No middlemen, no fees, no setup complications.

Crypto.data: So the correct bid you wish is to deposit some crypto on your Telegram pockets?

Masser: Exactly. You fund your pockets once, and if any individual sends you crypto for the first time, Telegram automatically generates a pockets for you. Relying on your space, it must also simply be custodial or non-custodial, nonetheless it absolutely’s straightforward.

After that, you might presumably presumably also send or catch USDT, TON (TON), NFTs — even stake tokens. The postulate is to give customers the core instruments, then let the ecosystem innovate on top of them. As soon as folk ogle how straightforward it is, they birth imagining contemporary issues — love yield-bearing tokens you might presumably presumably also send straight in chat. It opens up limitless probabilities.

Crypto.data: While you talk over with builders, what execute you highlight as the important thing advantages of constructing on TON? And what more or much less suggestions or concerns execute you gain from them?

Masser: The fundamental bid builders compare is how naturally every thing connects thru Telegram. When they attain out to us, it’s in most cases on Telegram. They’re already there — talking to their customers, working communities, managing tasks. So for them, it’s about asking, “How will we build something genuine throughout the app where all people already spends time?”

That’s the charm. They gain speedy attain and distribution. That you might presumably presumably presumably also portion a mini app in a neighborhood chat, and hundreds or hundreds of oldsters are playing or the tell of it within seconds. It’s social, frictionless, and viral.

We’ve considered that the majority growth comes thru referrals. Someone says, “Hiya, take a look at out this game,” drops the link, and all people in the chat joins straight. I reflect around 90% or more of newest customers attain thru that more or much less word-of-mouth sharing.

Obviously, there are peaceable some peril facets. Documentation and onboarding for builders maintain to enhance — we’re engaged on that. The Foundation is updating resources and tutorials to assemble it clearer guidelines on how to build mini apps, integrate TON, or launch stickers and collectibles. We don’t objective correct are making an are attempting to teach, “Right here’s one billion customers — scuttle build.” We now maintain to make sure they maintain the instruments and reinforce to succeed.

One more mountainous bid is consciousness. When I keep in touch at events, I’ll predict the room, “Who here makes tell of Telegram?” Every hand goes up. Then I predict, “Who’s worn a mini app?” Perchance two or three palms. But when I predict, “Who’s performed Hamster Kombat?” 70% elevate their palms — and additionally they don’t even realize that’s a mini app.

People reflect they’re objective correct the tell of a online page inside Telegram. As soon as they comprehend it’s an staunch in-app expertise powered by TON, every thing clicks. That’s why I’m doing interviews love this — to bridge that consciousness gap.

As soon as folk realize the overlap between Telegram and TON — what each does and how they complement each different — more builders attain in. And when objective correct builders approach, the ecosystem grows naturally. We noticed that with Notcoin: it took off, inspired a wave of teach-up tasks, and the full ecosystem accelerated.

Crypto.data: Make you reflect that a share of the accessibility bid is Telegram’s evolution staunch into a ‘excellent app’? There’s so noteworthy going on there that it must nearly truly feel overwhelming. Make you’ve got any insights into how Telegram is facing this question?

Masser: Telegram and TON are separate entities, so I will’t truly observation on their internal product roadmap. What I will teach is that the Telegram personnel is obviously very aware of how their app is being worn — they’re dwelling in it on daily basis.

From what we’ve considered, their turnaround on updates is extraordinarily swiftly. They’re for all time bettering issues, releasing contemporary aspects, and iterating speedy. But since we’re not the the same organization, it wouldn’t be genuine for me to keep in touch for them or speculate on what they’re engaged on subsequent.

Crypto.data: What are just among the issues you or the broader TON and Telegram ecosystem are most fervent on genuine now, technically or creatively?

Masser: In my realizing, I’m truly fervent on Telegram Gifts. What’s truly tantalizing is how entire economies at the 2nd are forming around them. You’ve acquired marketplaces love TON Market and TON Portal where customers can absorb, sell, and even rent out their gifts.

If you’ve got that basis — outlandish digital items that folks truly care about — builders birth up constructing contemporary layers of functionality. Video games are integrating them, creators are distributing them, and customers are forming complete communities around specific collectibles.

It jogs my memory rather of the early iPhone know-how. When the iPhone first launched, the genuine innovation didn’t occur straight — it got here just a few years later when folk began constructing issues that could presumably even most tantalizing exist as a result of iPhone, love Uber. TON and Telegram at the 2nd are at that identical point.

We’re seeing identical ripple outcomes here. The gift financial system connects straight with gaming, creators, and marketplaces. Someone mints a collectible, one more builds a mini app around it, and a third project creates a technique to substitute or stake it. All staunch now, you’ve acquired this self-sustaining digital financial system working inside Telegram.

And then there’s the creator side. Telegram has for all time been sturdy among creators — journalists, influencers, and analysts. They tend to put up on X, nonetheless they build communities on Telegram. It’s where their most staunch followers are.

Now, with collectibles, stickers, and funds, those creators can in the slay monetize straight. I maintain my like channel, and folk can tip me with Telegram Stars or send gifts as a thank-you. It’s straightforward, and it truly works.

That’s something you might presumably presumably also’t execute on different platforms except you attain massive scale. On Telegram, even smaller creators can birth up incomes genuine away. They can situation up paid messages, provide exceptional teams, or build NFT-gated channels — all with out leaving the app.

Crypto.data: You mentioned stickers earlier — how execute they match into this ecosystem?

Masser: Stickers are one more charming portion. Some are off-chain, nonetheless the ones created thru Fuse, Telegram’s official sticky label store, are minted on-chain the tell of the NFT 2.0 identical outdated.

What’s special about NFT 2.0 is automated royalties. In older NFT models, creators had to rely on marketplaces to set apart in power royalties. Right here, it’s built straight into the token itself. Each time that sticky label is traded, the creator gets paid.

That offers artists a motive to preserve tasks alive and treasured. In its set apart of leaving slack a series once it sells out, they maintain a monetary incentive to preserve taking part their audience and adding contemporary snarl material. It makes the full machine more sustainable for creators.

So between Stars, gifts, collectibles, and NFTs with baked-in royalties, you’re seeing an genuine, functioning creator financial system emerge inside Telegram — powered by TON, nonetheless accessible to anyone, even folk that’ve never worn a blockchain pockets sooner than.

Crypto.data: Is there something else you’d love to add or mention?

Masser: Yes, truly — I’d esteem to mention the Sera Apartment Program. It’s an racy initiative we’re working that affords folk of project to take part in an genuine situation mission. We’ve acquired six seats on Blue Origin, and five of them are reserved for fogeys from countries that don’t in most cases gain the different to take part in situation packages — areas love Nigeria, Brazil, and India, among others.

To position it in perspective, Justin Solar reportedly paid $28 million for a Blue Origin seat. Right here, we’re opening the door for six folk from the neighborhood, chosen thru on-chain voting on TON, the tell of Telegram as the interface.

It’s not only correct symbolic — customers will truly be in a pickle to vote on the experiments that gain conducted in situation. We call it the folks’s situation program because it’s about giving global communities assert enter in something that became once out of attain.

What’s even better is that it’s not only correct folk campaigning on their very like. Communities are forming around candidates, rallying reinforce, and voting together. So, teach there’s a Croatian participant — the full Dinamo Zagreb fan neighborhood could presumably even gain in the relief of him, send votes, and even perchance ogle their man take a Croatian flag into situation.

That’s the more or much less global, participatory vitality TON and Telegram assemble imaginable. We’re connecting folk across borders, the tell of blockchain not as a buzzword nonetheless as genuine infrastructure for collaboration and gain admission to.