Telegram’s quest for crypto supremacy

Recently, France and Vietnam have propelled Telegram straight to the headlines. Yet, no government intervention could stop it from hitting a billion-user landmark last March. Pavel Durov’s creation has become the go-to global messaging app and has also secured its place as a community hub among web3 aficionados and early blockchain adopters. 

Simple, reliable, and offering not just promises but a readymade platform, Telegram represents the opportunity of a millennium for the crypto industry to scale into mass adoption. We are talking about the largest untapped market for consumer-facing crypto applications. Telegram is no longer merely where crypto communities talk; it’s rapidly becoming the platform where they build. 

Telegram is more than a platform

Telegram’s pitch goes beyond security and privacy: many use the app daily without ever thinking about end-to-end encryption. Simple UX and efficient messaging are the value propositions that set Telegram apart from its competitors, while the rapidly expanding Telegram MiniApps and the scale of their adoption deliver the ultimate headstart to the platform.

Through TON (TON), Telegram is not just another platform for crypto expansion but a fundamentally different adoption paradigm, one where blockchain functionality is woven into the existing user environment. The growing number of MiniApps and the rapid development of TON flip the traditional adoption model from “pull” to “push,” requiring entirely new strategic approaches. Rather than waiting for users to discover and adopt DeFi apps, the ecosystem must proactively develop these tools and ship them directly to a ready and waiting user base.

Web3 will be user-friendly or forgotten

Most blockchain projects today are built for people already familiar with web3. They emphasize the ethos of DeFi, but onboarding new users and approaches to promote widespread adoption have been an uphill battle. The typical target audience of such projects likely spends time on Coinbase or Binance and has at least some technical understanding of the underlying technology of the products they use. Developers optimize their products for crypto-natives and push for more functionality at a cost of even more complexity, resulting in a steep learning curve for new users. The hope that consumers will eventually “get it” is misguided. 

The behavioral characteristics of Telegram and TON’s global user base defy conventional crypto adoption patterns—they’re transaction-oriented rather than speculation-focused, and value immediate utility over theoretical potential. For example, the rapid adoption of TON-based games like Catizen, which onboarded over 20 million users in just months, demonstrates how intuitive, value-first experiences resonate.

Telegram and TON are uniquely placed to capture a vast new consumer base for web3 projects. Quoting Pantera Capital’s Dan Morehead,

“99.999% of blockchain projects are a tech idea trying to create a community—from nothing. … Telegram is a community integrating blockchain technology.” 

What is to be done?

So, how can the industry make sure web3 thrives on Telegram? Firstly, the focus must return to the value added through DeFi primitives: yield, borrow, and swaps. DeFi can be embedded invisibly into MiniApps, creating new monetization models without users realizing they interact with the blockchain. For example, users can unlock in-game perks by temporarily locking tokens, generate yield through DeFi vaults, or use “Buy Now, Pay Later” mechanics backed by crypto collateral. Even token swaps can be streamlined within the MiniApps, turning everyday actions like gaming or gifting into seamless DeFi interactions that benefit developers and users. TAC is already enabling this shift by bringing blue-chip and battle-tested DeFi applications from the Ethereum  (ETH) ecosystem to TON and Telegram.

Secondly, developers must recognize that Telegram’s interface is not just a frontend; it is the environment where new consumer expectations are shaped. In general, users seek immediacy, simplicity, and relevance. Telegram MiniApps already serve as touchpoints for games, fintech, and social utilities, making them ideal vessels for embedding DeFi logic behind the scenes. Instead of forcing users through hurdles of understanding gas fees or remembering seed phrases, developers can integrate mechanics directly into intuitive flows. These features don’t need to be labeled as “DeFi” to deliver value, they reliably enhance what users already do.

These embedded financial features act as silent engines, powering new experiences without asking users to understand the machinery. This is how Telegram becomes not just a distribution means, but the surface where the next wave of web3 UX takes shape. The breakthrough strategy must be both technological and psychological. When customers are using web3 technologies without needing complex explanations, the industry will truly conquer the next frontier.