TON Strengthens Independence from Durov, but Needs “Democratization”
Date: 2025-04-08 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: CRYPTO PAYMENTS
According to the publication, the blockchain associated with Telegram gained popularity due to the launch of Mini Apps, including tap-to-earn games. However, over time, network activity and TON capitalization decreased by 70% - from a maximum of $25 billion to $7.3 billion.
Steve Yun emphasized that even the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov did not lead to a collapse in the value of the coin. This indicates that the TON ecosystem is quite independent and capable of developing independently.
According to the top manager, the popularity of tap-to-earn caused only limited enrichment, but provided an opportunity for new experiments and supported social interest in the network. As part of further development, two new languages are being developed — Tolk and Tact, which should increase the attractiveness of TON for developers.
However, Yun acknowledged the problem of favoritism in the TON Foundation, especially regarding certain Mini Apps. The community has repeatedly pointed out that the TON Foundation provides more support to selected mini apps in the Telegram wallet than their popular competitors.
He called this problem “critical” and emphasized the need to solve it for the further growth of TON. The Open Platform (TOP), the company responsible for the wallet, is currently developing new mechanisms for integrating products, which is expected to lead to greater democratization of the platform.
Another significant problem Yun named is non-targeted advertising in Telegram, which, in his opinion, slows down the development of the ecosystem.
“It is important to find the right balance. Without an effective way to showcase products, conversion can take much longer than necessary. We plan to make advertising optional,” he noted.
According to Yun, users who agree to be shown ads will be able to count on rewards in Toncoin.
