The new generation of encryption users will undoubtedly consider TON as their entry point in the coming years.
This year, the TON blockchain mini-program has become a real phenomenon. Learn the complete success story of TON from the record-breaking ICO in 2018 to becoming widely adopted in 2024.
TON was initially created by Telegram in 2018 and launched a record-breaking ICO in 2019, raising $1.7 billion. In 202, despite a lawsuit from the SEC, things turned for the better, making TON blockchain even stronger for most Web3 products. In 2021, a team of open-source developers (now TON Foundation) rebuilt the ecosystem into its current state. The cryptocurrency $GRAM was renamed to $TON and launched at a price of $.7.
In 2023, TON blockchain announced plans to onboard 30% of users to its network by 2028, aiming for 500 million users. The target for 2024 is approximately 3-4 million users. In fact, the number of activated wallets on TON has already exceeded 9 million.
The key to TON’s explosive growth? Telegram mini-programs. Developers can create flexible interfaces directly launched in Telegram, potentially replacing any website or web application. Since its launch, thousands of mini-programs have been created with some highlights such as thenotcoin with 35 million users in three months, hamster_kombat with 150 million users and 46 million DAU, CatizenAI with 21 million users and 3 million DAU, tapswapai with 50 million users and 17 million DAU, and Yescoin_Fam with 20 million users and 5 million DAU.
It’s no wonder that the number of daily active addresses on TON exceeds Ethereum. The Hamster Kombat craze is an extraordinary part of this legendary story. Many of my Web2 friends, originally unrelated to cryptocurrencies, are now sharing their referral links and stats.
Hamster Kombat is popular on YouTube and Twitter, with a YouTube channel boasting 23 million subscribers and a Twitter account with 8.1 million followers.
With the popularization of hamster_kombat on TON through the thenotcoin Telegram mini-program framework, hundreds of developers are creating their own tapper games on TON, creating a snowball effect. Users actively explore the ecosystem, looking for the next promising application. Incentives further drive $TON: by 2024, over $150 million worth of $TON has been allocated to the community and projects, with over 8.94 million users sharing $9 million in rewards.
The real impact is that TON’s growth is not just reallocating interest among Web3 native users like other chains. Instead, it is attracting non-crypto users and inviting them to join their Web3 journey. My Web3 journey began in 2016 with Steemit, a platform rewarding content creators with cryptocurrency. Undoubtedly, the new generation of encrypted users will consider TON as their entry point in the coming years. In my view, the history of $TON is unfolding.