Deep Integration of Ton Coin with the Telegram Ecosystem: A Complete Investment Guide

What is Toncoin? Starting from Telegram’s Web3 Dream

Toncoin (Toncoin) is the native cryptocurrency of The Open Network, a blockchain project filled with drama from its inception.

In 2018, the Durov brothers, founders of Telegram, realized that existing Layer 1 blockchains couldn’t support Telegram’s hundreds of millions of users. They decided to develop their own blockchain. However, plans changed unexpectedly— in 2019, a lawsuit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disrupted the schedule, leading Telegram to withdraw and hand over the project to the open-source community.

Today, Toncoin is maintained entirely by an independent team, but its ties to Telegram have become even closer. In 2024, Telegram integrated the Ton wallet directly into the app, a move seen as a turning point for the Ton ecosystem.

Toncoin is valued at $1.87, but the story behind it is even more worth paying attention to

As of January 2026, Toncoin’s current price is $1.87, with a 24-hour decline of -1.89%. The price may seem ordinary, but its historical trend is highly dramatic:

• Early 2021: First listed on a decentralized exchange at about $0.41
• November 2021: Followed the market trend to peak at $3.5
• 2022: Entered a prolonged bear market, oscillating between $1.3 and $2.5
• Mid 2024: Due to ecosystem explosion (USDT integration, Mini Apps rise), surged to a historic high of $8.25
• Second half of 2024: Suffered negative shocks such as the founder’s arrest, leading to a sharp correction

The current $1.87 is over 75% below its all-time high, reflecting the high-risk nature of Toncoin, deeply tied to the Telegram ecosystem.

Technical advantages: Why can Ton support hundreds of millions of users?

Ton employs a unique architecture:

Three-layer sharding technology

• The main chain (Masterchain) handles coordination
• Up to 2³² workchains process transactions in parallel
• Each workchain can be subdivided into 2⁶⁰ shardchains

Theoretically, this design allows Ton to process millions of transactions per second, far surpassing most existing public chains. However, it requires extremely high hardware specifications for validators, similar to Solana or Aptos.

Asynchronous architecture: a double-edged sword Unlike Ethereum’s synchronous calls, Ton’s smart contracts are designed with asynchronous, non-atomic operations. This boosts scalability but significantly increases the difficulty of developing DeFi applications. Internet Computer adopted a similar approach, which resulted in a weak DeFi ecosystem—this is also a key reason why Ton’s DeFi performance remains average.

Resource self-payment model Ton’s most innovative feature is that operational costs are borne by smart contracts, not users. Each contract must hold enough Toncoins to pay for computation, storage, and network transmission. If the balance runs out, the contract is automatically deleted. This fundamentally changes the fee model but also complicates application development.

Ecosystem current state: gaming is booming, but DeFi is cold

Gaming and social are the main drivers

• Catizen (cat-raising game): a hit within Telegram, showcasing “play-to-earn” low-entry features
• Hamster Kombat, Notcoin, and others launched, attracting millions of users
• These apps leverage Telegram’s 900 million+ user base

DeFi ecosystem is still exploring

• Decentralized exchanges: Ston.fi, DeDust.io, etc., offer basic swap functions
• Lending protocols: EVAA Protocol supports over-collateralized loans
• But overall TVL (Total Value Locked) remains far below competitors, limited by the asynchronous architecture

Payments and wallets are key entry points

• @wallet integrated directly into Telegram, allowing transfers without leaving the app
• Tonkeeper, a non-custodial wallet, offers user-friendly interaction
• Telegram Stars, an in-app payment system, demonstrates Telegram’s ambition to build a closed-loop ecosystem

Economic model: a “Damocles sword” hanging overhead

Ton’s total supply is 5.15 billion coins, with initial distribution:

• Team: 1.45%
• Early PoW mining: 98.55% (now transitioned to PoS)

The truth about circulating supply

• Currently, only 2.417 billion coins (about 47%) are in circulation
• About 1.081 billion are frozen in inactive mining wallets (community votes to freeze for 48 months)
• This means a large number of tokens are still locked or inactive

Concentration risk According to latest data, the top 100 addresses hold 91.75% of the supply, far higher than Bitcoin’s 13.63%. In other words, a few early miners and institutions control the majority of Toncoins.

While the community has tried to mitigate selling pressure by freezing inactive wallets, this is only a short-term measure. Burning only 350-400 Toncoins daily to reduce supply is negligible against an initial issuance of 5 billion.

If this issue isn’t addressed, large early whales’ massive sell-offs could become a long-term downward pressure on the price.

Actual uses of Toncoin: more than just a speculative tool

1. Fuel for network operation

• Transaction fees, smart contract execution, NFT minting all require Toncoin
• Fees reward validators, maintaining network security

2. PoS staking and passive income

• Users can stake Toncoin with validator nodes for about 5% annual yield
• The more staked, the higher the network security

3. Governance rights

• Holders can participate in on-chain decisions via TON VOTE
• Larger holdings mean greater influence

4. Payment hub within the Telegram ecosystem

• Channel owners can use Toncoin for advertising, earning 100% ad revenue share
• Developers can exchange Telegram Stars earned for Toncoin
• Countless bot applications use Toncoin as the basis of their economy

5. A new option for cross-border payments

• Leveraging Ton’s high speed and low fees, suitable for quick international remittances
• As a store of value, some users hold it as a long-term investment

Three ways to invest in Toncoin

Spot investment Buy Toncoin on mainstream exchanges and hold long-term. This is the most direct method but also requires enduring market volatility. After purchase, transfer to a self-custody wallet for security.

Contract trading Use CFD platforms or futures on exchanges to go long/short, with leverage to amplify gains (and risks). Suitable for experienced short-term traders.

Ecosystem participation

• Stake Toncoin for PoS rewards
• Participate in liquidity mining or lending in DeFi apps
• Invest in Ton’s GameFi and NFT projects

Choose based on your risk tolerance and experience.

Risks not to ignore

Telegram dependency risk Ton’s development is entirely tied to Telegram’s strategy. If Telegram’s growth stalls or changes its stance on Ton, the ecosystem could suffer. The founder’s legal issues already demonstrate this risk.

Concentration risk With 91.75% held by a few addresses, a sudden dump by major whales could crash the price and shake community confidence.

Regulatory uncertainty Deep integration of communication and financial payments will attract global regulators’ attention. Regulatory policies on cryptocurrencies are still evolving, posing significant uncertainty.

DeFi ecosystem bottleneck The asynchronous architecture limits the development of complex financial applications, making Ton relatively weak in DeFi compared to competitors like Solana and Ethereum.

Two possible futures for Ton

Scenario 1: Sacrifice decentralization for stability Community votes to permanently freeze large holdings of early whales, reducing market selling pressure. But this would cause Ton to lose its “asset store” attribute, turning it into a low-cost, high-efficiency chain similar to Tron, mainly as a bridge for asset transfer.

Scenario 2: Create ecosystem prosperity through dilution Distribute sub-tokens (like STON) to new participants or adopt other dilution schemes to reduce early whales’ influence. Although this may hurt some early holders, it could foster a healthier ecosystem.

Final thoughts

Ton’s combination with Telegram demonstrates powerful Web2.5 potential—there’s no doubt. Over 900 million users, built-in wallets, payment ecosystem—these conditions make any public chain envious.

But the reality is harsh. The 91.75% coin concentration is like a Damocles sword hanging over the entire ecosystem, constantly reminding investors of this risk.

Ton’s future depends not only on technology and ecosystem development but also on whether the community can find a balance—motivating early contributors while ensuring new participants have room to grow. There is no simple answer; it requires ongoing exploration between decentralization ideals and practical compromises.

Investing in Toncoin now offers a chance to participate in the Web3 payment revolution but also requires readiness for high volatility. The choice is yours.