CoinDesk
Toncoin ($TON) has surged more than 36% in 24 hours to a four-month high of $1.80, outperforming the broader crypto market after Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the messaging platform would replace the TON Foundation as the network's primary driver. Durov announced on X that Telegram will become TON's largest validator and roll out a refreshed ton.org, new developer tools, and performance upgrades within two to three weeks. He added that transaction fees on The Open Network have fallen sixfold to near zero, with most transactions eventually moving toward a fee-less model around 0.00039 TON (~$0.0005). The bullish tone has spilled across the Telegram-linked ecosystem, with Notcoin up roughly 26%, Dogs up more than 100%, and several smaller TON-based tokens posting even larger daily moves.
Why it matters
Becoming the largest validator is the structural signal, not the price candle. It signals Telegram is willing to put its own balance sheet and infrastructure behind TON's security and direction, narrowing the long-standing gap between the Telegram narrative and the TON Foundation's execution. Near-zero fees matter most for the products Telegram can actually distribute: on-chain tips, games, bot payments, mini-app transactions, and small retail transfers. A fee that is irrelevant to a DeFi whale can still kill a consumer app when users move cents at a time, and the new cost base widens the addressable use case inside Telegram's roughly one-billion-user footprint.
Market impact
Telegram-linked tokens caught a broad bid — Notcoin gained nearly 26% and Dogs rose more than 100% in 24 hours, with smaller TON-based assets posting even larger daily moves. Even so, the on-chain fundamentals still trail the narrative: DefiLlama data shows roughly $69 million in total value locked, down from 2024 highs near $800 million, with daily chain fees around $3,600, DEX volume near $29 million, and app revenue close to $134,000. Daily active wallet activity sits just under 50,000 from around 136,000 unique wallets, well below the roughly 700,000 daily activities across 2.2 million wallets seen in August–September 2024.
Frequently asked questions
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Why did Toncoin ($TON) jump 36% in a day?
Pavel Durov announced on X that Telegram will replace the TON Foundation as the network's primary driver and become TON's largest validator, while also confirming that transaction fees on The Open Network have fallen sixfold to near zero.
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What is Telegram's new role in The Open Network?
Telegram will become TON's largest validator and the main driving force behind the ecosystem, with a refreshed ton.org, new developer tools, and performance upgrades slated to roll out within two to three weeks.
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How low have TON transaction fees gone?
Fees have dropped sixfold to near zero, with most transactions eventually moving toward a fee-less model at roughly 0.00039 TON per transaction (about $0.0005), per Durov's post.
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Which other Telegram-linked tokens rallied with TON?
Notcoin gained nearly 26% and Dogs rose more than 100% over 24 hours, with several smaller TON-based tokens posting even larger daily moves as bullish sentiment spread across the ecosystem.
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Do TON's on-chain fundamentals support the 36% move?
Not yet — DefiLlama data shows roughly $69M in total value locked (down from ~$800M in 2024), with daily chain fees around $3,600, DEX volume near $29M, and daily active wallet activity at ~50,000, well below 2024 peaks.
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