What TON Telegram Open Network does

TON (The Open Network) is a decentralized Layer 1 blockchain originally conceived by Telegram and now maintained by the open-source community. Its core technology is a custom stack-based TON Virtual Machine (TVM) supporting modern cryptography and Zero-Knowledge primitives, secured by Proof-of-Stake consensus via the Catchain 2.0 protocol and designed to scale via dynamic sharding that automatically splits the mainnet into shardchains under load. The network advertises sub-second latency (~0.4s block time, ~0.6s finality), verified 100K+ TPS, and fixed near-zero transaction fees (~0.00039 Gram for Gram transfers, ~0.001 Gram for USDt transfers), with 400 validators, 1,544 nodes, 173.3M deployed smart contracts, 3.9M monthly active wallets, and 2.9M daily transactions at the time of source capture.

The product surface extends well beyond a base chain. TON Connect provides wallet-to-application interoperability; TON DNS, TON Storage/Torrents, and TON Sites/Proxy deliver Web3 primitives; Jettons and mintless tokens (deployable to millions of recipients for a $1 fee) and NFTs (Gifts, Usernames, Collectible Numbers) support tokenization; liquid staking, gasless transactions, and the Tolk smart contract language round out the developer toolkit. SDKs are published across TypeScript, Python, Go, Java, Rust, C++, PHP, Elixir, C#, Kotlin, and Swift, and an official @ton/mcp server exposes TON operations to AI agents. The flagship distribution mechanism is native integration into Telegram Messenger, including Mini-Apps, Telegram Stars, Premium subscriptions, Giveaways, and Ads Payouts, all settling in the native Gram (GRAM) token, which holds a $4.20B market cap and ranks #21 on CoinMarketCap. October 2025 saw expansion into two new verticals: Cocoon AI (decentralized GPU compute and agentic wallets) and the gaming vertical via AlphaTON Capital's announced majority acquisition of GAMEE.

TON does not operate a traditional revenue model. Value capture occurs at the protocol level through transaction fees that accrue to validators rather than a central entity, validator staking rewards, and Telegram-side monetization (Stars, Premium, Ads) that creates on-chain settlement volume. Customer segments are hybrid: developers and builders deploying dApps and Mini-Apps constitute the primary persona, with the long tail of 1B+ Telegram users as the consumer surface; gaming and AI developers represent emerging secondary segments. The entity itself is small (11-50 employees) and registered in Dubai, operating as a community-driven open-source initiative with Telegram as its strategic parent.

Name

TON Telegram Open Network

Legal name

The Open Network (TON)

Website

https://ton.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TON (The Open Network) is a decentralized Layer 1 blockchain distributed through Telegram's 1B+ user base, offering sub-second finality, near-zero fees, and TVM-based smart contracts. It serves developers building Mini-Apps and dApps and end users accessing payments, tokens, gaming, and AI compute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Layer 1 Blockchain Infrastructure

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Layer-1 (L1) Network Validators & Node Operators (FSADAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Asset Custody & Wallet Infrastructure for Institutions (MPC/HSM, key mgmt, policy controls) (FSAPAIAE), Interoperability & Cross-Chain Infrastructure (Bridges, Messaging, Atomic Swaps) (FSAGAMAI)

Keywords

• Layer 1 blockchain
• Decentralized infrastructure
• Smart contracts platform
• Blockchain network
• Web3 protocols

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: Network collects transaction fees from Gram transfers (~0.00039 Gram) and USDt transfers (~0.001 Gram). All fees are fixed regardless of network load.
2. Validator Rewards: Validators earn GRAM rewards for successful participation in block validation and consensus through Proof-of-Stake mechanism.
3. Telegram Stars: Virtual currency within Telegram ecosystem that can be purchased with Gram and used for digital goods, content, and services. Platform captures value from Stars transactions.
4. Telegram Premium: Cryptocurrency-enabled premium subscription service purchasable with crypto wallet for enhanced Telegram features.
5. Ads Payouts: Telegram ad revenue can be paid out in Gram, connecting creator monetization directly to TON ecosystem and generating network activity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TON is a decentralized Layer 1 blockchain originally developed by Telegram and continued by the open-source community. It operates a custom TON Virtual Machine (TVM) for smart contracts and provides blockchain primitives (payments, digital assets, mini-apps, NFTs, staking, decentralized storage, DNS) directly inside Telegram Messenger, reaching over 1 billion active users. The network is secured by Proof-of-Stake consensus via Catchain 2.0 with dynamic sharding, sub-second finality, and near-zero fixed transaction fees.

Product overview

The Open Network (TON) is a decentralized Layer 1 blockchain developed by Telegram and the open-source community. The core product consists of the TON blockchain infrastructure with its native Gram (GRAM) cryptocurrency and TON Virtual Machine (TVM). The ecosystem includes multiple integrated products: TON Connect enables wallet-application connectivity; Telegram Mini-Apps/Bots Platform and Telegram Stars provide direct access to Telegram's 1B+ users; Jettons and NFTs (including Gifts, Usernames, Collectible Numbers) enable tokenization; TON DNS, TON Storage, and TON Sites provide Web3 services; AppKit, WalletKit, and TON Pay are SDKs for developers; MyTonCtrl manages nodes; and Cocoon AI enables decentralized AI computing. The network supports dynamic sharding, sub-second finality, near-zero fees, and processes millions of TPS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gram: The native cryptocurrency token of the TON blockchain, used to pay fees, participate in validation, voting, and more. Initially distributed via Proof-of-Work mining.
• Telegram Stars
• Cocoon AI
• TON Connect
• TON DNS
• TON Storage/TON Torrents

Products and services

• TON (The Open Network) Decentralized Layer 1 blockchain with sub-second latency (~0.4s block time), near-zero fees, dynamic sharding, and verified 100K+ TPS. Designed for mainstream adoption via Telegram integration.
• Gram (GRAM) Native cryptocurrency token of the TON blockchain used to pay network fees, participate in validation, and vote. Initially distributed via Proof-of-Work mining.
• TON Connect Protocol enabling applications to connect with TON wallets, allowing users to log in and sign transactions. Supports WalletConnect for cross-platform wallet connections.
• TON DNS Blockchain-based domain name service providing non-blockable domain names secured on the TON network.
• TON Storage / TON Torrents Decentralized file storage and sharing protocol using torrent-like technology combined with on-chain payment contracts.
• TON Sites, TON Proxy, TON Payment Network Web3 services providing privacy and confidentiality, including TON Sites accessible via ADNL and RLDP and TON Proxy as an HTTP-to-ADNL bridge.
• Cocoon AI Decentralized AI computing network on TON where users contribute GPU computing power and earn cryptocurrency, with emphasis on privacy and data ownership.
• Jettons (Distributed Tokens) Token standard on TON supporting distributed tokens (Jettons) and mintless tokens that can be distributed to millions of recipients for a $1 network fee.
• Tonscan / TON Explorer Blockchain explorer for reading TON blockchain data including accounts, transactions, blocks, smart contracts, jettons, and NFTs.
• TON Contract Verifier Tool for verifying smart contract source code on the TON blockchain.
• AppKit SDK Open-source SDK for integrating TON into React and JavaScript/TypeScript dApps and Telegram Mini Apps, enabling wallet connection, transfers, NFTs, swaps, and staking.
• WalletKit SDK SDK for integrating wallet services with TON, working alongside AppKit to provide the complete wallet-application connection layer.
• TON Pay SDK Payment processing SDK for building transfers and handling payments using TON blockchain.
• Multi-language TON SDKs Suite of SDKs supporting TypeScript, Java, Go, Python, C++, Rust, C#, PHP, Elixir, Kotlin, and Swift for interacting with TON blockchain via HTTP, ADNL, or as libraries.
• Tolk Programming Language Modern smart contract programming language for TON blockchain, successor to FunC, used to write contract code, getters, and message handlers.
• MyTonCtrl Comprehensive tool to run and maintain TON nodes including validators, liteservers, archive nodes, collators, nominator pools, and liquid staking, with Telegram alerting and BTC Teleport support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100K+ TPS verified throughput
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability6 records

Feature18 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CocooncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Cocoon is a decentralized AI network launched by Telegram founder Pavel Durov on The Open Network blockchain. The project aims to enhance user privacy and data ownership, allowing users to earn cryptocurrency by contributing GPU computing power to the network.
• AlphaTON CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025AlphaTON Capital announced its involvement with the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA) and its plans to acquire a majority stake in Telegram-first gaming platform GAMEE. The partnership aims to leverage Telegram's user base and the TON blockchain ecosystem to advance blockchain gaming and provide developer support.
• TelegramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTON (The Open Network) was developed by Telegram and the open-source community. The blockchain ecosystem is built into Telegram Messenger, connecting payments, digital assets, and mini apps for Telegram's 1B+ users.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ethereum: The largest smart-contract L1 blockchain and the most direct competitor to TON. Ethereum and TON both target developers building decentralized applications, DeFi, NFTs, and stablecoin payments, and compete for institutional liquidity, developer mindshare, and TVL. TON differentiates via Telegram distribution and higher throughput.
• Solana: High-performance L1 blockchain focused on throughput and low fees. Solana and TON compete for high-volume consumer and DeFi applications, both targeting sub-second finality and low-cost transactions. TON's edge is Telegram distribution; Solana's is deeper developer ecosystem and DeFi liquidity.
• Avalanche: L1 blockchain with a subnets architecture comparable to TON's workchains concept. Both networks support app-specific chains and high throughput, and both target enterprise and developer use cases requiring customizability and performance.
• NEAR Protocol: Sharded L1 blockchain emphasizing scalability and low fees with a developer-friendly experience. NEAR and TON share similar architectural philosophies (dynamic sharding, account abstraction, low-cost UX) and compete for the same high-throughput, mainstream-adoption use cases.
• BNB Chain: L1 blockchain with massive user reach through Binance's exchange ecosystem. BNB Chain and TON both leverage large parent-platform user bases for distribution and compete for high-volume retail trading, stablecoin transfers, and consumer dApps.
• Sui: Newer L1 blockchain focused on high throughput, parallel execution, and a Move-based smart contract language. Sui and TON are both part of the new wave of high-performance L1s targeting consumer-grade dApps and competing for developer mindshare.
• Aptos: L1 blockchain using the Move language with a focus on scalability, safety, and upgradeability. Aptos and TON compete in the high-performance L1 segment and target similar developer and institutional audiences with parallel-execution architectures.
• Internet Computer (Dfinity): L1 blockchain focused on hosting full-stack decentralized applications and Web3 services. ICP and TON share a similar vision of supporting native Web3 infrastructure (storage, DNS, sites, payments) directly on-chain rather than relying on traditional cloud.
• Cosmos: L1 ecosystem with appchain architecture (Cosmos SDK, IBC interoperability). Cosmos's hub-and-zone model is conceptually similar to TON's workchain approach, and both target sovereign, interoperable chain deployments.

Broad incumbents

• Polygon: Established scaling/L1 ecosystem with broad multi-chain positioning (Polygon PoS, Polygon zkEVM, Polygon Miden). Polygon competes with TON for developer mindshare and offers a broader portfolio of scaling solutions, but lacks a comparable consumer distribution channel like Telegram.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/ton-blockchain

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TON Telegram Open Network