For a man who rarely speaks publicly, Pavel Durov’s latest comments about The Open Network (TON) carry weight. In a rare acknowledgment of the blockchain’s growth, the Telegram founder revealed that Silicon Valley’s biggest players - Sequoia, Benchmark, Ribbit, Draper and VY Capital - have collectively poured over $400 million into TON, offering not just capital but public endorsement.
Denys SerhiichukDurov framed TON’s rise in pragmatic terms. Over the past year, it has become Telegram’s de facto financial layer - the only way creators withdraw earnings, the sole payment rail for ads on most markets and the mandatory blockchain for hundreds of millions using mini apps.
Even Telegram’s digital assets, from usernames to virtual gifts, now exist exclusively as TON-based NFTs. "The in-app economy is scaling faster than anticipated," Durov notes.
Yuri MolchanHe singled out TON’s technical edge: sharding architecture built to process transactions at a scale fit for Telegram’s user base - almost one billion people - calling it one of the few blockchains with fundamentals, not just speculation.
The update came just as Durov resolved his legal standoff with French authorities.
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin