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Pavel Durov announced that fees on The Open Network have already dropped 6x to near zero, and that Telegram is stepping in to become TON's largest validator — effectively replacing the TON Foundation as the network's primary driving force. The fee cut follows a 10x speed upgrade rolled out in April as Step 1 of Durov's "Make TON Great Again" plan, with a refreshed ton.org website, new developer tools, and further performance upgrades slated for the next 2–3 weeks.
Why it matters
Telegram sitting in the largest validator seat is a structural change, not a cosmetic one. The TON Foundation had been the de facto steward of the chain; the messaging platform with nearly 1 billion users is now the steward. That moves TON from a foundation-run experiment toward a corporate-backed high-throughput rail — closer in posture to how a major tech firm would run infrastructure it depends on. Telegram's distribution combined with sub-second, near-feeless transactions is the explicit thesis Durov is funding with engineering hours and validator stake, not just rhetoric.
Market impact
The fee collapse and validator consolidation arrive together, and the read is bullish for TON's positioning as a payments-grade L1. Mini-app developers, in-app payment flows, and on-chain DeFi on TON all benefit when transaction cost approaches zero and confirmation sits under a second. The watch-points for the next 2–3 weeks are the ton.org refresh, the developer tooling drop, and whether the "Make TON Great Again" roadmap shows a credible Step 2. A slow toolkit rollout or a fee rebound under load would undercut the thesis; sustained near-zero fees under real Telegram-scale traffic would validate it.
Frequently asked questions
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What did Pavel Durov announce about TON?
Durov said TON network fees have already been cut 6x to near zero and that Telegram is becoming the network's largest validator, effectively replacing the TON Foundation as the primary steward of the chain.
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How much have TON fees dropped?
Fees on The Open Network have fallen roughly 6x to near zero, according to Durov's announcement, with many transactions on track to become completely feeless.
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What was TON's April 10x speed upgrade?
In April, TON rolled out a 10x speed improvement as Step 1 of Durov's "Make TON Great Again" plan. The fee cut and validator handover announced now are the next leg of that same roadmap.
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What is shipping on TON in the next 2–3 weeks?
A refreshed ton.org website, new developer tools, and further performance upgrades are expected to land within 2–3 weeks, per Durov's announcement.
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Why does Telegram running a validator matter for TON?
Moving the largest validator seat from a foundation to Telegram — a platform with nearly 1 billion users — shifts TON from a foundation-run experiment toward a corporate-backed high-throughput rail, strengthening the thesis that sub-second, near-feeless transactions can support in-app payments, mini-apps, and DeFi at…
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