.png%2Fsize%2F%3Fexp%3D1737076862%26sig%3DFG8TSTW8IOuNktPN3SUCFlzInmNZGGj5BiAUkj87K0M?table=block&id=16006c4b-630a-80f7-a894-db357ef3219b&cache=v2)
TON: Roadmap to Formation and Development of the Blockchain Ecosystem
TON (The Open Network) exemplifies how an idea can evolve into a large-scale ecosystem uniting Web3 capabilities, cryptocurrencies, and decentralized applications. Originally launched as a project by Telegram, TON faced numerous challenges while maintaining its commitment to innovation and openness. Today, it serves as a platform where cutting-edge technologies meet real-world user needs.
Below is a timeline of TON’s key milestones to illustrate how one of the most exciting blockchain ecosystems was built. This journey is filled with inspiring decisions, technological breakthroughs, and significant achievements.
2018: The Birth of an Ambitious Project
2018 marked the starting point for the creation of Telegram Open Network (TON) — an ambitious project envisioned as a bridge between Telegram’s millions of users and the emerging opportunities of blockchain technology. Pavel and Nikolai Durov recognized that the evolving cryptocurrency market required a platform capable of combining speed, decentralization, and user accessibility. With millions of active global users, Telegram provided the perfect foundation for a new blockchain that could seamlessly integrate into the familiar messaging environment. TON aimed to be more than just another blockchain — it was designed as a universal platform for transactions, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (dApps).
January:
The idea for TON was first conceived within Telegram. Pavel and Nikolai Durov decide to create a blockchain scalable to millions of users, capable of delivering fast transactions, smart contracts, and Web3 applications.
March:
Telegram releases a white paper detailing TON’s unique features, including sharding. This technology divides the blockchain into independent parts (shards), each processing its own transactions, ensuring high speed and network scalability.
June:
Telegram conducts an ICO (Initial Coin Offering), raising $1.7 billion. This event becomes the largest ICO in history, highlighting the immense interest in the project.
2019: From Early Tests to Legal Battles
2019 was a year of great hopes and serious challenges. Telegram actively developed TON, launching its first test networks, but faced legal issues that threatened the project’s very existence. Despite this, the team persisted in building an ecosystem that promised to revolutionize interactions with cryptocurrencies and decentralized applications.
April:
The launch of the first TON test network marked a significant milestone in the ecosystem's development. Developers gained access to the code, beginning to test smart contracts, sharding, and other key features embedded in TON's technical architecture. This moment represented the culmination of months of preparation by the Telegram team, aiming to present a groundbreaking blockchain solution to the world.
Summer:
Telegram revealed further details about TON's functionality, including secure transaction capabilities, support for Web3 applications, and network scalability. These features captured the attention of the crypto community and investors but also drew scrutiny from regulators. The project's scale and potential impact on the market placed it under intense regulatory observation.
October:
A legal storm erupted when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Telegram. The SEC claimed that Gram tokens, sold during private funding rounds, constituted unregistered securities. This move had severe repercussions for the project, including a ban on token distribution, putting the planned TON launch at serious risk.
December:
Telegram faced a difficult decision to postpone the launch of the main network, originally scheduled for late 2019. Despite this setback, the team continued to seek ways to resolve the conflict and protect its innovative solutions. This year tested the resilience of the TON ecosystem, highlighting its importance and potential to reshape the rules of the blockchain market.
2020: A New Phase of Development — Transition to the Community
In 2020, the TON project underwent significant changes that defined its future trajectory. Following legal challenges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Telegram officially ceased its involvement in the project, transferring it to the open-source community. This step opened up new opportunities for the blockchain's development under the leadership of independent developers.
May:
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, announced the company's withdrawal from the TON project, emphasizing that its future development would proceed without Telegram's involvement. A community of enthusiasts took responsibility for the project, rebranding it as The Open Network, while the Gram token was renamed Toncoin.
June:
Technical leadership of the project transitioned to a group of independent developers, including the NewTON team, which later became known as the TON Foundation. These developers continued to advance the network, adhering to the principles of high performance and decentralization.
November:
The community adopted a strategic development plan that included creating bridges to other blockchains, supporting smart contracts, and launching the first decentralized applications. This plan laid the groundwork for future growth and innovation within the TON ecosystem.
2021: Rebranding and a Strong Start
In 2021, the TON ecosystem underwent significant transformations, introducing innovative tools that made it more accessible and beneficial for users. This period was marked by active growth and the implementation of technologies that demonstrated their relevance in real-world scenarios.
June:
The launch of cross-chain bridges TON-ETH and TON-BSC enabled users to interact with the Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain blockchains. These bridges allowed seamless token transfers between networks, increasing liquidity and expanding the use cases for Toncoin.
July:
The introduction of the TON Payments system made fee-free micropayments possible. This was a major step toward integrating cryptocurrency into everyday life.
September:
TON Sites, a decentralized hosting solution protected from censorship and blocking, was launched. This became a crucial component of the Web3 ecosystem.
October:
TON Proxy was introduced, offering privacy and anonymity online, and creating a secure environment for users.
December:
Pavel Durov publicly endorsed Toncoin for the first time through a statement on Telegram, leading to a 30% surge in the token’s value.
2022: The Ecosystem Becomes More User-Friendly
The year 2022 marked a significant milestone as TON confidently reached a mass audience. New features and user-friendly solutions made the ecosystem more accessible, and its integration with Telegram became a crucial step in the popularization of cryptocurrency.
January:
TON launched TON DNS, a feature allowing users to register simple and memorable domain names instead of complex wallet addresses. This greatly simplified cryptocurrency interactions and improved the user experience.
March:
The ecosystem achieved a major milestone as Toncoin’s market capitalization surpassed $5 billion. In the same month, a token deflation mechanism was introduced, helping to maintain its value and attract new investors.
April:
The introduction of the @wallet bot enabled users to conduct Toncoin transactions directly within the messenger. While it remained a standalone service not yet integrated into Telegram’s core code, this was the first public step toward simplifying Toncoin’s use for Telegram’s broad audience.
2023: A Year of Innovations and Strategic Decisions
The year 2023 was a landmark for TON, marked by the launch of new technologies and strategic partnerships. This period demonstrated the project's maturity and readiness for further growth.
January:
TON launches TON Storage, a decentralized data storage system operating on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. This tool offers a reliable and secure alternative to traditional cloud services by preserving data in a distributed system.
May:
TON Payments expands its functionality, introducing new features for donations, micropayments, and Web3 platform integration. This solution made cryptocurrencies a convenient tool for everyday transactions.
September:
At the TOKEN2049 conference in Singapore, Telegram officially unveiled TON Space, an integrated cryptocurrency wallet for the messenger. This solution opened new opportunities for millions of users, providing a simple and secure way to manage Toncoin and other digital assets directly within Telegram. The launch of TON Space was a significant step in ecosystem development, streamlining interactions with cryptocurrency and Web3 technologies.
November:
TON Wallet becomes accessible to all Telegram users. This integration enables millions to conveniently manage cryptocurrency assets directly within the familiar messenger environment.
December:
The first decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are announced, allowing users to securely trade assets without intermediaries. These platforms provide a private and secure environment for direct token trading.
2024: Integration with Tether and Global Recognition
The year 2024 was a transformative and ambitious period for TON. The integration with Tether provided access to a stable cryptocurrency, and new tools brought the ecosystem closer to millions of users. Despite challenges, TON demonstrated resilience and a commitment to growth, solidifying its position on the global stage.
April:
At the TOKEN2049 conference, Pavel Durov and Paolo Ardoino (head of Tether) announced the integration of USDT into the TON ecosystem. This move gave Telegram users access to a stable cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar and improved Toncoin's liquidity. Additionally, the launch of Tether Gold (XAUT) on the TON blockchain was announced, opening new opportunities for asset tokenization.
August:
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced the listing of Toncoin. New trading pairs (TON/BTC, TON/USDT, and others) made the token accessible to a broader audience, boosting its popularity in the global market. Trading began with pairs such as TON/BTC, TON/USDT, TON/FDUSD, and TON/TRY. Deposits were made available immediately, and withdrawals began on August 9, 2024, at 10:00 UTC.
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram and one of TON's key visionaries, was detained by French authorities. This unexpected event sent shockwaves through the ecosystem and caused panic among investors.
In the days following his arrest, the price of Toncoin plummeted, losing over 35% of its market capitalization. The market reacted nervously, fearing potential consequences for the project’s development. However, within weeks, TON Foundation representatives issued statements affirming the project's independence from Durov’s involvement, helping to stabilize the situation.
September:
Despite the August crisis, the TON ecosystem continued to grow. Telegram introduced a major update to TON Space, expanding the functionality of the integrated cryptocurrency wallet. The updated version introduced support for multi-currency wallets, allowing users to store and manage not only Toncoin but also other popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
October:
TON Foundation launched a large-scale grant program for developers aimed at fostering the creation of decentralized applications (dApps). This initiative garnered significant interest among developers, providing substantial resources and support for implementing new ideas.
Special attention was given to projects in the fields of DeFi, NFTs, and data storage systems, further strengthening TON's position as a platform for innovative solutions.
November:
By the end of the year, the price of Toncoin began to recover, surpassing the $6 mark for the first time since the August crisis. This growth was driven by several factors: increased investor confidence, the success of TON Space integration, and the active promotion of the grant program.
A key moment was TON Foundation’s announcement of continued collaboration with international partners, confirming the ecosystem's stability and promising outlook.
December:
On December 10, 2024, OKX Ventures, the investment arm of OKX, invested $5 million in TON Ventures. This funding was aimed at accelerating the development of applications integrated with Telegram on the TON blockchain.
TON’s history is marked by decisive steps and accomplishments that practically demonstrate the viability and potential of decentralized technologies. Each milestone — from the development of sharding and the launch of TON Storage to stablecoin integration — showcases how the ecosystem adapts to new challenges and demands.
Today, TON offers solutions that once seemed like science fiction. Distributed data storage, smart contracts for securing information, simplified access to decentralized applications, and seamless integration with one of the world’s most popular messengers — all these are now accessible to millions, becoming a part of their daily lives.
TON’s future appears to be a continuation of a clear strategy: enhancing user interactions, expanding the ecosystem, and creating technologies that are fast, reliable, and convenient. TON is not just growing — it is building the infrastructure for a new digital economy, where there is space for everyone: developers, creators, investors, and users.
The Open Network continues to move forward, paving the way for a digital era where technology serves humanity, not the other way around. This journey is far from complete, but every day brings TON closer to becoming a universal platform for work and interaction in a decentralized network.
