Toncoin (TON) gained important consideration in 2024 when the tap-to-earn development grew to become in style. Nonetheless, the momentum has diminished since then. Regardless of this, Tracy Jin, the Chief Working Officer at MEXC, one of many main world cryptocurrency exchanges, envisions TON changing into the primary on a regular basis blockchain by 2027.
Moreover, she means that TON’s development trajectory might doubtlessly rival Solana’s (SOL). In an unique interview, Jin shared what differentiates TON from Ethereum (ETH) and Solana and what’s subsequent for the ecosystem’s future.
How Faucet-to-Earn Development Boosted Toncoin (TON) However Uncovered Key Weaknesses
Faucet-to-earn gaming was one in every of 2024’s main crypto narratives, with the messaging platform Telegram reworking right into a central hub for these video games. Chatting with BeInCrypto, Jin acknowledged that the tap-to-earn development had each optimistic and damaging impacts on TON.
The development fueled adoption and put TON into the highlight. Nonetheless, the rise proved to be unsustainable.
“The faucet-to-earn wave of 2024 was a double-edged sword. It accelerated consumer onboarding but in addition uncovered the constraints of attention-based fashions in sustaining long-term engagement,” Jin stated.
She believes that for TON to regain momentum, the subsequent part must concentrate on extra than simply gamified components. Notably, Jin revealed that the foundational components are already in place.
She commented that there are early indications of a shift towards use instances pushed by utility, particularly in areas resembling Telegram-integrated funds, mini-apps, and offering funding for critical builders inside the ecosystem. In accordance with her, the subsequent steps contain enhancing real-world integration and providing higher help for builders.
The COO additionally careworn that Telegram, as TON’s native consumer acquisition engine, distinguishes it from different networks and will additional drive its enlargement.
What Makes TON Completely different from Ethereum and Solana
Jin emphasised that TON’s development technique lies in an area that the majority Layer-1s wrestle to succeed in: integrating inside a local, on a regular basis interface.
She underlined that Ethereum is the cornerstone for good contracts, and Solana has established itself as a high-performance various for DeFi and shopper functions. In distinction, TON is concentrating on consumer adoption.
“TON is betting on a very completely different future — one which’s already unfolding inside Telegram. With over 900 million customers globally, Telegram is the most important energetic social layer in crypto — and TON is the one blockchain natively embedded into it. This isn’t nearly constructing dApps: it’s about making Web3 disappear into the UX in the very best method,” she said.
She identified that, at current, widespread use stays a problem for a lot of blockchains. The manager cited Ethereum’s wrestle to attain mass adoption regardless of years of growth for example.
Jin added that TON is simplifying this by providing acquainted instruments, like Telegram Pockets, to its customers. These instruments allow crypto utilization inside chats, video games, and P2P experiences.
Moreover, TON supplies a simple consumer expertise by abstracting away widespread friction factors like fuel charges and personal key storage, making it simpler for folks to interact with crypto.
Mini-apps built-in into Telegram, like Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, and Catizen, are additionally successfully onboarding thousands and thousands of customers, usually with out them realizing they’re utilizing blockchain.
Whereas Ethereum and different networks face challenges with complexity, TON is making crypto accessible with minimal obstacles.
“If it succeeds in totally executing this integration, the excessive barrier to entry, which crypto is famously identified for, may very well be considerably decreased — particularly for mainstream customers. It’s not about throughput or TPS; it’s about context, comfort, and tradition. TON is constructing the place customers already are, and that may very well be a game-changer,” Jin talked about to BeInCrypto.
Furthermore, Jin drew consideration to the truth that Telegram’s 900 million crypto-curious customers give TON a big benefit in turning the platform right into a crypto-native tremendous app. She forecasted that TON is well-positioned to onboard the subsequent 100 million retail customers, rivaling Solana’s development.
Nonetheless, its success nonetheless will depend on infrastructure growth and dealing with regulatory challenges.
Way forward for Toncoin (TON)
In the meantime, the MEXC govt additionally shared TON’s notable milestones, highlighting robust consumer enrollment. She disclosed that greater than 150 million accounts have been created on TON.
The community information a median of two million transactions per day. Furthermore, there are round 2 million energetic month-to-month wallets.
In truth, TON has additionally emerged as a preferred selection for non-fungible token (NFT) buying and selling, largely pushed by the Telegram Items Market.
“Telegram Collectible Items went up in worth a number of occasions up to now 30 days. TON is now the #1 blockchain by each day NFT buying and selling quantity (or #2 after Ethereum if off-chain trades aren’t counted),” Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, posted on X.
Whereas these are strong benchmarks, Jin said that they don’t make TON the preferred blockchain ecosystem, at the least not but. She predicted that if present adoption continues, the community might attain over 2.6 million each day energetic customers in 2026 and surpass 10 million by 2027.
“By 2027, Ethereum should still lead DeFi. Solana might dominate on-chain liquidity and buying and selling. But when TON continues its present path, it’s going to personal one thing else fully: the on a regular basis layer of the web. A blockchain folks use with out fascinated with it — as a result of it’s already there, contained in the apps they by no means shut,” the manager advised BeInCrypto.
Jin additionally gave her forecast for TON’s worth, which has declined 53.1% over the previous yr. BeInCrypto information confirmed that the altcoin traded at $3.2 at press time, down 61.0% from its all-time excessive of $8.2.
Toncoin Value Efficiency. Supply: BeInCrypto
Nonetheless, Jin believes that reclaiming and even going above this document excessive would possibly occur within the coming years.
“Crossing the $10 mark within the subsequent 5–10 years is believable, however it nonetheless relies upon closely on broader market cycles, regulatory readability, and community sustainability,” she predicted.
She defined that worth predictions ought to be primarily based on fundamentals. Nonetheless, if TON continues to increase its utility layer, attracts extra builders, deepens Telegram integration, and good points wider service provider adoption, a valuation within the tens of billions of {dollars} wouldn’t be unrealistic.
