Telegrams Journey to Becoming a Web3 Super App: Insights from TON President

The integration of payments, messaging, and online identification into Telegram has the potential to transform the messaging platform into a globally accessible super app for the digital economy. This was stated by Manuel Stotz, the president of the TON Foundation, in an interview with TheStreet.

He mentioned that Telegram is already evolving into a full-fledged content marketplace that operates using cryptocurrencies.

«Now influencers can send exclusive content—videos, photos, music—and charge their fans directly. The creator economy is definitely using this for monetization,” Stotz illustrated.

However, he believes that the incorporation of digital assets into the messenger carries much broader implications globally.

Around 3 billion people worldwide lack access to banking services or are severely limited in that area. Many residents in developing countries are unable to utilize stable currencies; instead, they rely on constantly devaluing money, such as the Zimbabwean dollar with denominations of 100 trillion notes, Stotz pointed out.

«But now they have smartphones,» he emphasized.

Devices and the internet grant access to crypto tools like stablecoins, which allow users to preserve savings and conduct transactions with greater stability. Stotz views this to some extent as a matter of human rights and even physical survival for individuals in third-world countries.

In January, Telegram and the TON Foundation announced an exclusive agreement mandating that built-in Web3 applications use only The Open Network (TON). This monopoly has sparked outrage within the community.

It’s worth noting that the developers of TON recently presented a roadmap for the project covering the first half of 2025.