One of the standout developments in the cryptocurrency market in recent days has been the sharp rise of TON, which surged by 65 percent in a short span. This surge was fueled in large part by Telegram’s intensified focus on the project and decisive steps from its leadership. A new wave of buying activity at the beginning of May reversed a prolonged period of sluggish price movement, drawing investors’ attention sharply back to TON.
Telegram’s driving force
Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced a new initiative called “Make TON Great Again” (MTONGA) and revealed plans to boost the platform’s direct contributions to the TON ecosystem. In a statement made on May 4, Durov shared that transfer fees on the TON network have been slashed to nearly zero, putting the estimated cost of a transaction at just 0.00039 TON or around $0.0005 per transfer.
Durov also disclosed that Telegram aims to become the network’s largest validator and its primary driving force. This marks a major shift in TON’s governance framework. Telegram, already renowned as a global messaging platform with hundreds of millions of users, continues to shape crypto discourse through its pioneering projects and technological vision.
Official statements from TON’s communications channels echoed Durov’s remarks, and the developments quickly made waves across the crypto community.
Network speed transforms with Catchain 2.0
On the technological front, the Catchain 2.0 update announced on April 9 brought swifter block times—reduced from 2.5 seconds to just 400 milliseconds. Transaction finality also saw a dramatic improvement, cut from about 10 seconds to only 1 second. Pavel Durov highlighted the boost by stating,
the system’s speed has increased tenfold, meaning users will notice a clearly improved experience across the network.
These technical upgrades are designed to enhance TON’s scalability and enable faster, more reliable transactions across the platform.
Investor interest and shifting market dynamics
Prior to its rally, TON had been trading sideways in a narrow band between $1.35 and $1.55 for several months, with a generally downward trend. However, renewed buying interest at the start of May propelled the token rapidly above key resistance levels, pushing it to price ranges not seen since earlier in the year.
Analysts point to multiple positive drivers behind this move—including Multicoin Capital’s recent attention to the ZEC token, growing anticipation for new products in the TON ecosystem, and Telegram’s renewed blockchain ambitions—all of which have fueled investor enthusiasm for TON.
A significant portion of TON remains locked in inactive wallets, leading some market observers to speculate that low liquidity could amplify price swings during periods of increased demand.
The renewed alliance between Telegram and TON has again sparked debate. Back in 2020, Telegram distanced itself from the project amid regulatory pressures; in recent months, it has signaled a possible return to the heart of the ecosystem.
While some users argue that deeper integration between Telegram and TON could accelerate mainstream adoption, others voice concerns that Telegram’s strong role might turn the network more centralized or attract additional regulatory scrutiny.
Over time, Telegram restricted mini apps linked to rival blockchains and shifted focus to TON. As a result, the market continues to closely watch whether TON can sustain its recent gains above current levels. Key questions remain over whether TON will maintain its independence long-term or become more tightly entwined with Telegram’s financial structure.
