作者：Bella区块链致富

In 2024, TON has become one of the best-performing Layer 1 blockchain projects. This year, the TON chain has seen rapid development, with total value locked (TVL) skyrocketing from $9.56 million last year to $750 million now, continuously hitting new highs. Currently, TON ranks tenth among global public chains.

The native token Toncoin (TON) has a total market capitalization exceeding $18.1 billion. Although Binance currently only lists TON for futures trading (spot trading is not yet available), TON's market cap has climbed into the top eight cryptocurrencies. Additionally, the TON chain ecosystem has rapidly expanded, with over 900 decentralized applications (Dapps).

While most crypto projects have struggled to survive during the bear market, the TON ecosystem's rapid development has attracted significant investor attention. This year, TON has shown remarkable returns in investment portfolios, demonstrating strong resilience even as the overall market declined and other altcoins halved in value. This breakthrough performance is primarily due to the vibrant development within the TON ecosystem.

As of July 15, data from bijiewang shows the price of TON tokens has surpassed $7.5. At the beginning of the year, the price was $2, representing an annual return of over 270%.

TON's Background

TON, short for "The Open Network," is a decentralized Layer 1 network aimed at creating an open internet environment for everyone. Initially conceptualized by Telegram's founders, Nikolai and Pavel Durov, the development of TON has now shifted to being community-driven. This shift emphasizes its decentralized principles and the broader community's commitment to its growth and innovation. The TON chain integrates various blockchain-based services (such as cryptocurrency payments and storage solutions) directly into the Telegram ecosystem.

With over 900 million active users, Telegram provides TON with a significant user growth advantage. Additionally, the TON Dapp Bots (similar to WeChat mini-programs) on Telegram have substantial potential.

TON Ecosystem Overview

According to TON's official website, as of July 15, the TON ecosystem comprises 960 decentralized applications (Dapps), covering categories like marketplaces, wallets, games, NFTs, social applications, and Launchpads. Although TON is still in its early development stages and has fewer ecosystem projects compared to Ethereum, Solana, and Binance Chain, its growth potential is promising.

Wallets: Participating in the TON ecosystem begins with choosing a suitable wallet. Currently, 49 wallets support the TON chain. Popular wallets include:

• Wallet: Telegram's native custodial wallet, similar to WeChat Pay, integrated within Telegram's settings. Users can exchange tokens directly and deposit funds via P2P or bank cards.

• TON Space: A self-custodial wallet from the TON Foundation, embedded within Telegram. Users can open TON Space via Wallet and connect directly with TON-based dApps.

• Tonkeeper: An independent, non-custodial TON wallet, known for its stability and user experience, making it a preferred choice for app interactions.

DeFi Projects:

• Leading DEX: Ston.fi

• Leading Lending Protocol: EVAAProtocol

• Leading Stablecoin: Aqua

• Leading Staking: TonStakers

• Leading Cross-Chain Bridge: Orbit

• Leading Launchpad: Tonstarter

Games:

• Catizen: Cat synthesis game

• Hamster Kombat: Hamster battle game

• Blum: Gamified trading platform

• Yescoin: Notcoin’s twin project

NFT Platforms:

• TON Diamonds: A major NFT marketplace on the TON chain. Regular users pay a 5% fee for NFT transactions, which can be reduced by purchasing various levels of diamond NFTs.

• Fragment: A non-custodial decentralized NFT trading platform integrated with Telegram. It specializes in trading Telegram usernames and virtual numbers, with transactions settled in TON.

Social Applications:

• Moons.so: A SocialFi platform built on the TON blockchain for Telegram users, allowing them to join communities, discuss topics, and play games.

• TonGifts: A social red packet application in the TON ecosystem, enabling users to send blockchain-generated NFTs as gifts within Telegram.

TON's Performance and Potential

According to Defillama data, as of July 15, the TVL of the TON chain has exceeded $750 million, ranking tenth among all public chains.

In the first quarter of 2024, the TON DeFi sector and the broader cryptocurrency market centered around Memecoin speculation. This trend significantly boosted on-chain activities and DeFi metrics, increasing TVL by seven times. This growth was mainly driven by increased activity on decentralized exchanges and the market dominance of the liquid staking protocol Tonstakers.

Following Notcoin's breakthrough, the TON ecosystem recently saw the rise of another Meme project, DOGS, which surpassed two million users within two days of launch. Using a "viral marketing" approach with airdrops and invitation mechanisms, DOGS achieved substantial community impact.

With continuous influxes of users and capital, the TON DeFi ecosystem is poised for further rapid growth. Backed by Telegram's vast user base and strong network effects, TON has a bright future, particularly with its unique advantages in native Telegram projects.