Telegram has formally rolled out its TON Pockets to customers in the US, marking a significant step ahead within the integration of blockchain and messaging.
Constructed on The Open Community (TON), the pockets is now accessible instantly inside the Telegram app, enabling customers to ship, obtain, and handle digital property without having a separate extension or utility.
First crypto pockets natively embedded in a significant U.S. social app
In keeping with Tuesday’s announcement, TON Pockets is the primary self-custodial crypto pockets built-in right into a broadly used social messaging platform and now accessible to the American public. “We’ve embedded crypto natively into Telegram, not as an add-on, however as a part of how folks already talk,” mentioned Andrew Rogozov, CEO of The Open Platform (TOP), now valued at over $1 billion following a profitable funding spherical.
The pockets helps Toncoin (TON), USDT, and a variety of different TON-based tokens—together with NFTs. Telegram customers can now switch tokens as simply as sending a message, whereas retaining full management of their personal keys in a self-custodial setup.
Increasing entry to the TON ecosystem
With greater than 100 million customers activating TON Wallets in 2024 and Telegram’s U.S. viewers estimated at 87 million, the combination has the potential to drive mass adoption. U.S. customers now achieve direct entry to the TON ecosystem, which options apps for gaming, funds, DeFi, and digital commerce.
The pockets additionally contains superior options like in-app buying and selling by way of Omniston and Ston.fi, token staking by means of third-party instruments, and 0% charges on USDT purchases made by way of Apple Pay, Google Pay, or bank cards by means of MoonPay.
Telegram’s transfer solidifies its place on the intersection of social media and crypto finance—creating some of the seamless blockchain person experiences up to now.