Telegram Takes Control: $TON Jumps 36% on Network Shift

Toncoin is surging again—this time with a clear catalyst behind it.

The token has climbed more than 36% in the past 24 hours, reaching a four-month high near $1.80, as Telegram moves to take a far more direct role in the future of its underlying blockchain, The Open Network.

From Foundation-Led to Telegram-Driven

The rally follows comments from Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who confirmed that the company will replace the TON Foundation as the primary driving force behind the network.

Telegram plans to become TON’s largest validator while rolling out new developer tools, performance upgrades, and a refreshed ecosystem hub in the coming weeks. Validators play a central role in blockchain networks, verifying transactions and maintaining consensus, meaning Telegram is now committing directly to both the security and direction of the chain.

That shift addresses one of TON’s long-standing challenges: the disconnect between Telegram’s massive user base and the execution layer of the blockchain itself. By stepping in more directly, Telegram is closing that gap.

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Fees Drop, Use Cases Open Up

At the same time, transaction costs across TON are falling sharply.

According to Durov, fees have dropped nearly sixfold and are approaching near-zero levels, with some transactions costing fractions of a cent. The longer-term goal is to push much of the network toward a fee-less model.

This change is critical for the types of products TON is designed to support. Telegram’s ecosystem leans heavily toward consumer use cases—tips, mini-apps, games, bot payments, and small transfers. In those environments, even minor fees can limit adoption. Near-zero costs make high-frequency, low-value transactions viable at scale.

The market response has extended beyond TON itself.

Telegram-linked tokens have rallied across the board, with Notcoin rising nearly 26% and Dogs jumping more than 100%, alongside outsized gains in smaller ecosystem assets.

The move suggests traders are repricing the entire TON ecosystem based on Telegram’s deeper involvement.

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With access to a potential user base approaching one billion people, even incremental improvements in integration or usability can have outsized effects on network activity.

Momentum vs Reality

Despite the surge, TON’s underlying metrics remain well below previous highs.

Data shows total value locked across its DeFi ecosystem sits around $69 million, a sharp drop from levels near $800 million in 2024. Daily fees, decentralized exchange volume, and application revenue remain relatively modest, while active wallet usage has declined significantly from last year’s peak.

That gap between potential and current usage has been a persistent theme for TON. The difference now is that Telegram itself is stepping in to close it.

A Narrative Reset

The latest move signals a broader shift in how TON is being valued.

For much of its recent history, TON was seen as a blockchain with a strong narrative tied to Telegram, but without full alignment at the execution level. That perception may now be changing.

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With Telegram directly operating validators, lowering fees, and pushing product development, the ecosystem is beginning to look less like a side project and more like an integrated platform.

The market reaction suggests investors are already starting to price that in.