Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the messaging app will replace the TON Foundation as the lead force behind Toncoin (ton), staking roughly $2.88 million to become the network's biggest validator.
Durov's TON Validator Pivot
Durov announced the structural shift in a Telegram post on May 4, framing it as the next stage of his "Make TON Great Again" roadmap. Toncoin climbed 33.8% in the 24 hours that followed.
The Swiss-based foundation had served as the network's main coordinator since 2020.
Telegram has now staked about 2.2 million TON to operate as a leading validator and back chain security directly. Durov said network fees had already dropped sixfold to near-zero levels under the same plan.
A refreshed website, fresh developer tools, and performance upgrades are due within two to three weeks, according to the Telegram founder.
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$191M Staking Inflow
Token Terminal data showed TON closed April with roughly 67 million transactions, its strongest monthly tally of 2026. Staking Rewards figures recorded an 18.36% jump in the staking ratio after Durov's post.
Net staking inflows hit about $191.83 million in a single day.
That marks the largest single-day staking inflow on TON in nearly four months, and the rally lined up with broader risk-on sentiment across major altcoins. Analysts at BanklessTimes flagged $1.947 as the first technical level confirming continuation, with the simple moving average at $1.354 setting downside risk.
The timing also matters because the broader DeFi market remains shaky, with recent exploits draining close to $600 million in user funds.
Roadmap Backdrop
Durov's announcement is the third step of a plan he first laid out in April 2026.
Catchain 2.0 was activated on Apr. 9, cutting block time from roughly 2.5 seconds to about 400 milliseconds.
A revised fee schedule followed on May 1, fixing the base cost near $0.0005 per transaction. The next governance test arrives in June, when validators will vote on cutting block rewards to limit projected inflation that climbed from 0.6% to roughly 3.6% after the speed upgrade.
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