Toncoin extended its rally on Wednesday, climbing to a new local high of $2.215 and bringing its three-day gain to more than 60%, as traders continued to price in Telegram’s deeper role in The Open Network. With the move, TON reaches it highest price since mid-November last year following fresh comments from Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who argued that Telegram becoming TON’s largest validator would strengthen decentralization rather than weaken it. The rally marks TON’s sharpest short-term moves this year. Market data showed Toncoin trading near the $2.10–$2.20 zone on Wednesday, with Kraken listing a 24-hour high of $2.20 and OKX showing TON at $2.215 earlier in the session. The token remains well below its prior all-time high near $8.25, but the latest move has quickly reset near-term market structure after months of muted price action. Durov Post Fuels Toncoin Rally Durov’s latest post on X added a new layer to the market narrative. On May 5, he said Telegram becoming TON’s largest validator “strengthens decentralization.” He wrote: “Telegram becoming TON’s largest validator strengthens decentralization. It lets other major players join the validator pool without centralizing the network — with Telegram as the counterbalance. More and more TON gets locked in validation as everyone competes for 20%+ APR.” Related Reading: TON Jumps 30% As Durov Says Telegram Will Take The Lead That statement came shortly after Durov said on May 4 Telegram would replace the TON Foundation as the main driving force behind TON and become the network’s largest validator. In the same post, he said TON fees had dropped sixfold “to nearly zero,” while a new TON website, new developer tools and performance upgrades were expected within two to three weeks. For the market, the timing matters. TON’s rally did not begin with a generic ecosystem update. It followed a direct Telegram-led roadmap: lower fees, stronger infrastructure, better developer tooling and a validator shift that ties the network more closely to the messaging platform’s distribution. Related Reading: Top Toncoin Whales Silently Accumulate 189,730 TON Despite Market Weakness The key debate now is whether Telegram’s larger role makes TON more credible or more centralized. On paper, becoming the largest validator gives Telegram greater influence over the network’s security layer. In a proof-of-stake system, validators help maintain network stability and security by committing large amounts of the native token. TON’s own documentation describes validators and nominator pools as core parts of the network’s security model. Thus, the optics are complicated. TON was originally created as the Telegram Open Network before later moving into a more independent foundation-led structure. Toncoin as the native cryptocurrency of The Open Network was originally developed in 2018 and later transitioned to the TON Foundation. Telegram now moving back into the central operational role represents a major shift in how the market is likely to assess TON’s governance and execution risk. At press time, TON traded at $2.263. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Toncoin surged sharply after Pavel Durov said Telegram will replace the TON Foundation as the main driving force behind The Open Network and become its largest validator, marking the messaging platform’s most explicit operational step back into the blockchain it originally launched. TON climbed from roughly $1.35 to about $1.80 in the move, an increase of around 30%, with CoinMarketCap ranking it among the top 20 crypto assets by market capitalization during the rally. Durov Puts Telegram Back At The Center Of TON The immediate trigger was a post from Durov on May 4, who framed the move as the next phase of TON’s technical roadmap after a major reduction in network fees. “Fees in TON have dropped 6× — to nearly zero. Next step — Telegram replaces the TON Foundation as the driving force behind TON and becomes its largest validator. The focus shifts to tech superiority,” Durov wrote. Related Reading: Top Toncoin Whales Silently Accumulate 189,730 TON Despite Market Weakness He added that the network is expected to receive a “new ton.org, new dev tools, new performance upgrades,” with a stated timeline of “2-3 weeks.” That combination of lower fees, validator participation and developer-facing upgrades gave traders a clear catalyst after TON had spent much of late April trading close to the $1.30 range. The statement also narrows the distinction between Telegram as a distribution platform and TON as a blockchain ecosystem. TON’s strongest strategic asset has long been proximity to Telegram’s user base, but Durov’s language suggests a more direct role for the company in execution, infrastructure and ecosystem signaling. The fee cut had already been telegraphed in late April. On April 23, Durov said TON fees would fall sixfold within a week, to “just 0.00039 TON” per transaction, fixed regardless of network load. He also said most transactions would “soon after” become fully feeless. That fee structure matters because TON’s core commercial pitch is not only speculative settlement, but high-frequency consumer activity inside Telegram. In January 2025, the TON Foundation said TON would become the exclusive blockchain infrastructure for Telegram’s Mini App ecosystem, supporting a platform it described as reaching more than 950 million monthly active users. Related Reading: Toncoin Faces Crucial At The $1 Range, Will It Hold Or Break? The same announcement said Telegram would continue accepting Toncoin as the only cryptocurrency for non-fiat payments across platform services such as Telegram Stars, Premium, Ads and Gateway, while also using Toncoin to pay Mini App developers and channel owners for earned Stars and ad revenue. TON’s history gives the announcement additional weight. Telegram originally developed the Telegram Open Network under Pavel and Nikolai Durov, before the project was halted after US Securities and Exchange Commission action over the sale of Gram tokens. In June 2020, the SEC said Telegram and TON Issuer agreed to return more than $1.2 billion to investors and pay an $18.5 million civil penalty to settle charges tied to an unregistered digital token offering. After Telegram stepped away, the network continued through community-led development under The Open Network brand. Telegram later rebuilt links to TON through product integrations, payments and Mini Apps. Durov’s latest statement is significant because it presents the next phase not as a partnership expansion, but as a leadership shift. At press time, TON traded at $1.806. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Toncoin is at a critical juncture as it tests the $1 range, a key level that has anchored its trading for weeks. How it reacts here could determine whether the range holds or breaks, setting the stage for either a bullish flip or an accelerated drop. With strong fundamentals in play but the chart still in control, traders are watching closely for the decisive signal. Range Flip Or Breakdown: What BTC Pair Tells Us About Toncoin Charting the TON/BTC and TON/USDT daily pairs, analyst Umair Crypto points out that Toncoin is at a critical juncture. On the BTC pair, the RSI has broken above its trendline, signaling early bullish momentum. However, the 200 SMA on this pair remains the key level to watch, as it will determine whether the $1 support on the USDT pair holds or if the range flips higher. Related Reading: Toncoin, Quant Seeing Whale Activity Explosion, Big Move Ahead? The BTC pair has been consolidating within a range for 166 days, and the recent RSI trendline breakout above 50 hints that bullish pressure is building. Meanwhile, on the USDT pair, price is attempting to recover the 50 SMA, showing early signs of strength, though confirmation is still needed. From here, two scenarios are possible. If the BTC pair closes convincingly above the 200 SMA, it would likely trigger a range flip on Toncoin’s USDT pair to the upside. Conversely, if the BTC pair gets rejected at the 200 SMA, the range may break down, putting Toncoin at risk of forming a lower low below $1. Such a breakdown would shift the market structure into bearish territory and could accelerate selling pressure, making $1 a crucial level to watch. $1 Support: More Than Just A Psychological Level The analyst stressed that the $1 level is far more than a psychological benchmark; it is a critical structural support that anchors the entire TON/USDT range. If this level fails, the decline could accelerate sharply, making it a key inflection point for traders and investors alike. Holding above $1 is essential to maintain the current range and prevent a potential breakdown that could trigger further selling pressure. Even with strong fundamental catalysts, the market has remained largely unresponsive. AlphaTON Capital Corp recently launched a $100 million treasury strategy, while TON Wallet officially expanded into the US market, both moves signaling growing institutional adoption. Related Reading: Lucky Train Launches TON-Based Web3 Project With Staking-Like Participation Model At this critical juncture, the BTC pair’s 200 SMA is shaping up as the ultimate deciding factor. A decisive close above this level could reinforce $1 as strong support and pave the way for a bullish range flip. Conversely, rejection at the 200 SMA could tip the market into bearish territory, signaling that structural weakness now overrides fundamental optimism. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
The Open Network (TON) Foundation, closely associated with Telegram, is setting its sights on an ambitious expansion in the United States. This strategic move comes amid expectations of a more favorable regulatory environment under the incoming administration led by Donald Trump. TON Foundation Appoints Manny Stotz As New President The foundation announced the appointment of […]