Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced a major strategic shift: Telegram is taking control of The Open Network (TON), replacing the TON Foundation as its driving force and becoming the blockchain's largest validator. Transaction fees have been slashed sixfold to nearly zero.
Durov stated the focus is now on tech superiority, with a new ton.org, new developer tools, and performance upgrades expected within 2-3 weeks.
The news sent TON token surging 36% to $1.86, though it remains 77% below its all-time high of $8.25. The rally also lifted TON ecosystem meme coins: $DOGS gained over 100% and $UTYA surged more than 140%.
Analysts caution the move is a narrative-driven spike rather than a fundamental repricing. Key resistance at $2 is flagged, with overbought RSI signals suggesting a potential pullback after the upgrade is executed.
Durov's legal troubles in France have eased; his travel ban was lifted in November and passport returned in March. In October, he unveiled Cocoon, a decentralized AI compute network on TON.