💰TON Ventures: a $40M Fund for Early-Stage Projects

Today marked the launch of TON Ventures, a $40M venture capital fund created by the vision and experience of two former senior members of TON Foundation, Ian W. and Inal Kardanov.

Supported by a $40M fund, TON Ventures aims to foster innovation within the TON ecosystem by financing early-stage crypto projects, much like an incubator.

The driving force behind TON Ventures is a team of former TON Foundation members and experienced developers. Leading this initiative are Ian W., former director of TON Accelerator, and Inal Kardanov, former head of games at TON Foundation. Their past collaboration led to the success of Web3 games such as Catizen and Gatto, as well as the perpetual exchange Tradoor.

At its core, TON Ventures is not just about funding - it's about the future of building. It provides developers with the tools and infrastructure necessary to create applications with the potential for mass adoption and long-term sustainability. The focus is on consumer applications that leverage Telegram’s social features and TMA.

In addition to financial support, selected projects will benefit from the team’s extensive experience, global network, and proactive support. To enhance the chances of success even further, TON Ventures will provide access to Telegram advertising and exclusive growth opportunities within TON.

"TON and Telegram have created a paradigm shift for web3. With our deep experience in the ecosystem, we believe the highest leverage point is in capital allocation for TON. Now, we have the exciting opportunity to share our insights and strategies for thriving in the unique design space created by TON and Telegram, empowering a new generation of innovators and builders. By connecting visionary investors with cutting-edge projects, we aim to accelerate the growth of the TON ecosystem and foster groundbreaking advancements in decentralized technology", said Ian W., Managing Director of TON Ventures.

This development comes at a time of rapid growth for the TON ecosystem. In recent months, TON has surpassed Ethereum in terms of daily active users, and the total assets on the platform reached $1.14B in July compared to $71M at the beginning of the year.

The 2024 trend of clicker games has also contributed to this growth, attracting hundreds of millions of new users to the Web3 gaming space. An example of this is the astronomical success of the Notcoin game, which captivated 35 million players in just three months, distributing over 90% of its token supply to its dedicated community.

Moving forward, TON Ventures is set to play a key role in the expansion and success of the TON ecosystem. By connecting visionary investors with leading-edge projects, they are investing not just in technology, but in the future of decentralized innovations.

Coincidence or not, the TON price has responded to this event by rising to $7.2, though it has now returned to $6.9.

Your Ace Ventures @TonPost💰

🥳Anniversary Telegram Update

Today, August 14th, marks the 11th anniversary of the launch of our beloved messenger Telegram. Its developers have prepared some gifts for us: more ways of monetizing content!

⭐️Star Reactions

Users can directly support their favorite channels and content creators by sending them Telegram stars through a new star reaction. Channel owners receive 100% of the stars and can exchange them for TON after 21 days from when they are credited, or use them to pay for advertising with a special 30% discount.

Each message with star reactions displays a list of users who sent the most stars. If a user prefers not to appear on the leaderboard when sending a reaction, they can hide their name.

⭐️Star Subscriptions

Content creators can now create special invite links for users to subscribe to their channel for a monthly fee in Telegram stars. This is an easy way to create exclusive channels for additional content, early access to creations, or VIP broadcasts (but not OnlyFans(!)).

⭐️Paid Media Content by Bots

Content creators can monetize channels by publishing paid photos and videos. Starting today, bots can also make paid publications, including channel admin bots and bots connected to business profiles on Telegram.

This opens new opportunities for automating channels and business accounts or creating profitable services offering image generation, video quality enhancement, etc. More information for developers can be found here.


⭐️Superchannels

When posting a message on a Telegram channel, instead of your name and photo, you can display your channel's name and profile picture. Now, it feels more like a chat, where admins can choose to post messages from their own name, or even from other channels they manage.

Channel admins can choose the profile they want to post from at any time by clicking on the profile picture in the input field. Admins are never visible to subscribers unless they post from their own name.

⭐️Read the full update details here

Happy Anniversary from @TonPost

🛍TON Joins Forces with Pyth Network

The Open Network (TON) and Pyth Network have announced a strategic partnership to foster the development of decentralized applications (dApps) on the TON blockchain.

This collaboration will integrate Pyth's advanced data feeds, providing high-quality, real-time price information needed to build innovative dApps.

Pyth's technology offers robust, institutional-grade data fortified with multiple layers of security to boost the confidence of TON developers.

This integration will enhance decentralized finance (DeFi) services by providing faster and more reliable price data, which is crucial for high-speed transactions. This significant advancement in dApp development brings improved data integration for financial services in the TON ecosystem.

Earlier, IntoTheBlock included TON in its analytics platform, giving TON community free access to advanced analytical tools, increasing user engagement and network transparency.

Your decentralized @TonPost

🧮Sonarverse adds TON Network to its index

Sonarverse proudly announced the addition of The Open Network to its comprehensive indexed dataset. It covers the blockchain from its inception to the present day. By integrating the TON ecosystem, Sonarverse contributes to a decentralized and open internet.

The datasets provided by Sonarverse include tables with information on blocks, jetton transfers, NFT transfers, transactions, and more, showing with transparency and clarity of all activities on the growing TON blockchain.

The core mission of Sonarverse is about solving current issues in blockchain data infrastructure: coverage, quality, and scalability.

Sonarverse covers over 60 blockchains with its comprehensive solutions for indexed blockchain data. High data quality, full SOC 2 compliance, flexible pricing, and advanced big data architecture has made Sonarverse the obvious choice for financial institutions, enterprises, and blockchain companies seeking reliable and complete on-chain data.

Recently, TON has joined IntoTheBlock, a platform that offers analytics for various blockchains, as well as DappRadar, which provides statistics on decentralized applications in the TON network.

Your analytical @TonPost

🚫How the Wallet Bot got tagged as Scam

The Wallet support bot got hacked last night. The attackers used it to send out messages urging people to transfer funds to a specific wallet address in order to double their money.

Naturally, most users responded by reporting the bot. This put a 'scam' tag next to its name, thanks to the messenger's automated mechanisms and algorithms.

Even considering the wallet's USDT and DOGS staking promotions, this offer clearly smelled like a phishing attempt. Thus, the scammers didn't show much creativity to extract funds.

❗️It's important to understand that no legitimate project will offer any promotion or activity by saying "Send funds to this wallet address, and we’ll handle the rest." Make sure you know what you are giving and getting in return. Also carefully check the transaction confirmation before sending to avoid crypto drainers.

The community is saying that the issue was caused by a vulnerability in a third-party plugin used by the devs to handle support requests.

We also know that the attackers managed to obtain ~$7.5K, with $500 coming from @wallet, and the remaining ~$7K from TON Space, Tonkeeper, and others.

Around 10 users were affected, and the developer team will compensate all user losses, both for those who sent from @wallet and from other wallets. However, in the latter case, it may take longer to collect the necessary corroborating data.

The wallet devs have now fixed the vulnerability and restored the bot without the scam tag to its regular working state:

"To reiterate, funds were always completely secure, and only our customer service plug-in was affected." - Wallet News.

It’s good that the damage was minimal and happened at an early stage. Stay alert and keep your assets safe.

Your secured @TonPost

🔒Pavel Durov detained in Paris, per the French Mass Media

Media reports that Pavel Durov was detained at Paris's Le Bourget Airport upon exiting his private jet.

"Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging service Telegram, was arrested this Saturday evening around 8:00 PM as he disembarked from his private plane on the tarmac at Le Bourget Airport. The arrest was made by the GTA (Air Transport Gendarmerie).
The 39 years old French/Russian citizen was accompanied by a woman and his bodyguard.

Listed in the FPR (Wanted Persons File), Pavel Durov was arriving directly from Azerbaijan. A French search warrant, issued by OFMIN - the French National Judicial Police, was issued based on a preliminary investigation."

Your correspondent @TonPost

⚡The warrant was issued because Durov did not cooperate with French law enforcement, which makes him an accomplice in illegal drug trafficking and other serious crimes — TV channel TF1.

Source
@TonPost

🐶TON Digital Resistance

The TON Community rallied in support for Mr. Durov and the Telegram team in light of recent news.

"Pavel is a symbol of the values upon which our community is built. We are confident that his commitment to freedom of speech and a decentralized internet will continue to inspire millions of people around the world."

They also urged everyone to remain calm and united.

Here’s what we know at this time:

- The Paris Prosecutor's Office, which has taken over the case of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, plans to make a press statement on Monday, August 26th.

- Edward Snowden stated that Durov's arrest is an infringement on the human right to freedom of speech, and he is dismayed that Macron has descended to "taking hostages".

- Vitalik Buterin believes that the situation with the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France is alarming for the future of software and communication freedom in Europe.

- Elon Musk has supported Durov following his arrest.

- Durov is detained in France at the request of the USA, according to Russian Senator Klimov. According to the senator, the US operates on the principle of "if you are not with us, you are against us."

Your resistance @TonPost

⚡Statement from the Telegram Team

Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act; its moderation adheres to industry standards and is continually improving.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov frequently travels across Europe and has nothing to hide.

Claiming that the platform or its owner are responsible for abuses that happen on the platform is absurd.

Nearly a billion users worldwide use Telegram as a means of communication and a source of important information.

We look forward to a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram stands with all of you.

Your resistance @TonPost

❗️Update on the situation in France

- Pavel Durov is being interrogated as part of an investigation against an unnamed individual suspected of numerous cybercrimes, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. People in the community speculate that the unnamed individual might be Mark Karpeles.

- Pavel Durov's detention in France is set to expire on August 28, according to the country's prosecutor's office.

- Macron stated that Durov's arrest is "not a political decision," and the detention occurred as part of an ongoing judicial investigation.

- The UAE has demanded that France urgently provide its citizen Pavel Durov with access to all necessary consular services, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

- Telegram might be banned in India as the country's authorities have initiated a review of the app. The reason provided remains the same - aiding criminal activities.

- The UN is monitoring the situation with Durov's arrest in France but has not commented yet, per the office of the Secretary-General to RIA Novosti.

- Tekashi 6ix9ine has spoken out in defense of Pavel Durov.

- French websites, including government ones, have been hit by a wave of DDoS attacks following Durov's detention.

- Today, TON blockchain will undergo a stress test: up to 10 million transactions to be completed simultaneously. This comes against the backdrop of the DOGS listing.

Your correspondent @TonPost

🐶TON Society's first-of-its-kind initiative: get France to #FREEDUROV

An open letter has been launched in Telegram in the form of a mini-app 💌

Every single person who values privacy and freedom of speech should sign this petition to the French authorities. We need to gather hundreds of millions of signatures.

TON Society calls on the French authorities to:
1️⃣Release Mr. Pavel Durov from custody
2️⃣Allow Telegram to protect freedom of speech and personal data of its users

#DigitalResistance is here. #FREEDUROV.

As always, we encourage you to share this post with the hashtag #FREEDUROV, sign the open letter and share it in your Telegram stories.

🆓🐶 https://t.me/tgresistancebot/letter

Your resistance fighter @TonPost

👑Today, Pavel Durov was accused of several crimes mentioned in the introductory statement of the prosecutor's office

Those charges include managing an online platform for illegal transactions as part of an organized group, refusal to provide necessary information to authorities for authorized data interceptions, among others.

He is also accused of money laundering obtained through criminal means as part of an organized group and providing and importing cryptographic tools without proper authorization.

Durov has been placed under judicial control, required to post a 5 million euro bail, report to the police twice a week, and is barred from leaving France.

Telegram has been repeatedly mentioned in cases of various offenses such as pedocriminality, drug trafficking, and inciting hatred online. The company's lack of response to judicial requests drew the attention of the cybercrime department of the Paris prosecutor's office, leading to an investigation into the potential criminal liability of the messenger's leaders, according to the document presented in the post.

We continue to hope for a reasonable resolution of the situation #FreeDurov.

Your Hachiko @TonPost

🎮Chinese Game Developers move to TON Blockchain

Game developers from China are increasingly turning their attention to TON blockchain games.

Following the success of simple games like Notcoin and Catizen, many Chinese small and medium studios started exploring opportunities to develop and distribute projects on this blockchain platform.

TON is attractive because of its integration with Telegram, providing access to a global audience of 900 million users.

Developers see TON as a chance to break free from traditional gaming platforms and the complex licensing and regulations they face in the domestic market. Here, Chinese companies can quickly launch projects and attract users, expanding their presence on the international stage.

With the growing number of players and games on TON, these developers are eager to tap into this "gold mine" for a new wave of growth and development in the gaming industry.

Your player @TonPost

🤪The TON blockchain has reached an impressive milestone of 1 billion transactions

Remarkably, half of this volume has been made the last three months, showing the rapid gain in activity and popularity of the platform.
This highlights the significant role that TON plays in the future development of the blockchain ecosystem.

Anatoly Makosov stated that according to TON API data, the transaction volume has already surpassed 1.3 billion transactions.

Your impressive @TonPost

🪙TON Listed on UzNEX

Toncoin has started trading in Uzbekistan, according to a press release by the local crypto exchange UzNEX. Today, UzNEX launched its updated Platform 2.0 along with TON listing.

The platform offers a total of 15 coins for trading, including Bitcoin. Next week, deposits and withdrawals in TON should be available.

Earlier, at the end of June, Kazakhstan's financial market regulator approved TON for licensed trading, coinciding with a visit to the country by Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

Pavel Durov visited several Central Asian countries this summer, such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, to explore how locals use Telegram and why. He discovered that more than half of the population of Kyrgyzstan uses the messenger monthly.

The French magazine Paris Match reports, citing credible sources, that the court has divided Pavel Durov's bail of five million euros as follows: one million must be paid immediately, and the remaining four million are to be paid in five monthly installments.

One source mentioned that Telegram's office "never received a notice of Durov's search." However, there was a search warrant, not an arrest warrant for the CEO.

The current events actually highlight Pavel Durov’s importance as a tech innovator and influential figure in the crypto industry. His trips across Central Asia, including visits to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, reflect his ambition to understand and meet the digital needs of local users.

At the same time, the financial and legal troubles related to his arrest demonstrate the challenges faced by leading entrepreneurs internationally. This creates a complex situation where success and challenges are closely intertwined. But we are confident that everything will turn out well!

#FREEDUROV
🆓🐶 https://t.me/tgresistancebot/letter

Your motivational @TonPost

😘Pavel Durov thanks you for the love and support!

Last month, Pavel was interrogated by the police for four days after his arrival in Paris. He was told that he might be personally liable for the illegal use of Telegram by others because French authorities had not received responses from Telegram.

This came as a surprise to Pavel for several reasons:

1. Telegram has an official representative in the EU who handles and responds to official requests. Their email address is publicly available to anyone searching Google for “Telegram EU address for law enforcement.”

2. French authorities had numerous ways to contact him for assistance. As a French citizen, he was a frequent visitor to the French consulate in Dubai. Some time ago, he personally helped set up a hotline with Telegram to combat the threat of terrorism in France.

3. If a country is dissatisfied with a specific internet resource, the common practice is to take legal action against the organization itself. Using pre-smartphone laws to accuse a CEO of crimes committed by third parties on his platform is a flawed approach. To create new technology is challenging enough. No innovator would create new tools knowing they will be held personally liable for their potential misuse.

Finding the right balance between privacy and security is complicated. It requires aligning privacy laws with the demands of law enforcement and regional laws with EU laws. Technological limitations also come into play.

As a platform, the objective is to have consistent processes worldwide while ensuring they are not abused in countries with weak legal systems. We strive to engage with regulators to find the right balance. Yes, we stand by our principles. This includes protecting our users in authoritarian regimes. But we are always open to dialogue.

Sometimes, Telegram cannot reach an agreement with a country's regulating authority on the right balance between privacy and security. In such cases, leaving that country becomes an option. This has been done many times. When Russia demanded encryption keys for surveillance, Telegram refused, and was then blocked in Russia. When Iran demanded blocking of peaceful protesters' channels and got refused, Telegram got blocked in Iran.

"We are prepared to exit markets that are incompatible with our principles because we are not driven by money. We are driven by the intention to do good and protect people's fundamental rights, especially in places where these rights are violated," says Pavel Durov."

This does not mean Telegram is perfect. The fact that authorities were confused about where to send requests could be addressed and improved.

"Claims by some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchy paradise are absolutely false. We delete millions of harmful posts and channels every day. We publish daily transparency reports (like this one and this one). We have direct hotlines with NGOs for expedited processing of urgent moderation requests.".

However, Telegram hears those who claim this is not enough. The sharp increase in Telegram users to 950 million has created growth challenges, making it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. Therefore, Pavel has personally set to ensure significant improvements in this area. His team has already started some reforms within the company, and soon Durov will share more detailed information about their progress.

"I hope that the events of August will result in making Telegram — and the social networking industry as a whole — safer and stronger. Thanks again for your love and memes".

Your grateful @TonPost

🩵TON Foundation commits $24 million for DeFi Development

The TON Foundation has added another $24 million in TON for their DeFi incentive program. This brings the total value of the program to date to over $75 million.

The TON Foundation initially launched this program in April to foster user engagement with decentralized finance (DeFi) applications on the TON platform.

At the launch, the program offered 11 million Toncoin as incentives, which is now worth nearly $53 million.

The additional 5 million TON allocated today is to reward liquidity providers in pools on STONfi and DeDust - two of the largest automated market maker (AMM) DeFi protocols operating on the TON blockchain.

Your DeFi @TonPost

🪙HOT Wallet x The Open Network

The devs from HOT Wallet, a non-custodial multi-chain wallet on Telegram, have announced an upcoming partnership with TON blockchain.

Recently, their app has undergone several notable improvements:
- Upgraded core wallet functionalities
- Swaps through the STON.fi platform
- Integration with TON Connect, for access to all dApps in the TON ecosystem
- Support for TON NFTs in partnership with GetGems
- Educational initiatives on the blockchain

The company's upcoming plans include:
- Support for staking TON through Tonstakers
- Exchange of Stars for TON and vice versa
- Cross-chain bridge to TON from other networks
- Development and integration of TON dApps on HOT Wallet

HOT Wallet plans to seamlessly integrate its 21 million wallet users into the TON blockchain, as well as to attract more Telegram users into HOT Wallet.

Your partner @TonPost

🚕In Singapore, you can pay for taxis with TON

TADA, a popular taxi booking service operating in Southeast Asian countries, is expanding its capabilities.

The company has introduced a new Telegram mini-app allowing users to book rides directly in the messenger and pay with Toncoin through Tonkeeper. This way, people can make fast and secure transactions, leveraging the benefits of the TON blockchain.

As a result, passengers can enjoy a more convenient and efficient payment method, while TADA gains an innovative edge in the competitive transport services market.

Your efficient @TonPost

⭐️TON is now trading on Revolut

Revolut, a leading international fintech platform, has expanded its cryptocurrency portfolio to add TON. This feature will reach over 45 million users of the app, providing them with new opportunities for investment and trading.

As of right now, users in the United Kingdom and European Union countries can start trading TON.

However, this is just the beginning: in the near future, the platform will bring this feature to users in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Singapore. We also expect it to become available to business accounts in the UK and EEA countries.

To start trading TON, go to the "Crypto" section on the Revolut platform.

This recent rise in accessibility and liquidity will undoubtedly attract new investors and users to the ecosystem, on top of expanding TON's visibility.

Your convenient @TonPost