Back

Telegram to become largest validator on TON, Pavel Durov says

According to Pavel Durov, Telegram plans to become TON’s largest validator as fees fall to near zero, a move that helped lift Toncoin and fueled expectations of broader adoption through Telegram’s ecosystem.

TON
NEAR

Fact Check
The claim is confirmed at the highest possible level of authority: Pavel Durov's own X post (@durov, status/2051315383466897663) and his Telegram channel post (t.me/durov/501) both state explicitly that 'Telegram replaces the TON Foundation as the driving force behind TON and becomes its largest validator.' The wording in the claim matches Durov's exact language. This is corroborated by Cryptonews.com, Wu Blockchain, and dozens of independent X accounts all citing the same primary sources with no conflicting reports. The only minor nuance is that the claim title says Telegram 'plans to become' the largest validator, while Durov's post frames it as the announced next step (step 3 of 7), implying it is a forward-looking commitment rather than a completed action at time of announcement.
Summary

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said Telegram will replace the TON Foundation as the main driving force behind TON and become the network’s largest validator, marking the company’s clearest operational return to the blockchain it originally launched. Durov said TON fees had fallen sixfold to nearly zero and outlined further changes over the next two to three weeks, including a new ton.org site, new developer tools and performance upgrades. Following the announcement, Toncoin surged from roughly $1.35 to about $1.80; one source described the move as about 30%, while another cited a 36% gain. The update follows an April 23 statement that transaction fees would fall to 0.00039 TON regardless of network load, with most transactions expected to become feeless soon after. The announcement also builds on TON Foundation’s January 2025 statement that TON would become the exclusive blockchain infrastructure for Telegram’s Mini App ecosystem and that Toncoin would remain the only cryptocurrency accepted for non-fiat payments across services including Telegram Stars, Premium, Ads and Gateway.

Terms & Concepts
  • TON: TON, or The Open Network, is a blockchain ecosystem designed to support payments, apps and other on-chain services.
  • Validator: A validator is a blockchain participant that helps verify transactions, maintain network security and support consensus.
  • Toncoin: Toncoin is the native cryptocurrency of TON, used for transaction fees, payments and other activity within the network ecosystem.