Telegram stopped pretending it wasn't running the show. On May 4th, the messaging giant officially took over primary operational control of the TON blockchain, replacing the TON Foundation as the network's main operator. The market responded swiftly: Toncoin surged 36% within 24 hours, hitting a four-month high of $1.80.
Telegram is now the network's largest validator, staking approximately 2.2 million TON. Transaction fees have been slashed to roughly 0.00039 TON, a reduction of about six times from previous levels, regardless of congestion. This gives a platform with over 900 million users direct influence over block production and governance.
Founder Pavel Durov framed the move around a concept called "tech superiority," promising new developer tools, performance upgrades, and a complete Ton.org redesign within two to three weeks. A prior mandate required all non-TON Mini Apps to migrate to the TON network by February 2025, ensuring the app ecosystem routes through TON.
For investors, the surge signals approval. Telegram's vast user base offers a distribution advantage few blockchains can match, and the fee reduction makes micro-transactions viable. However, the concentration of power creates a single point of failure, and Durov's personal legal history-including a 2024 arrest in France-represents significant key-person risk. The next few weeks will test whether the "tech superiority" narrative holds up.