Pavel Durov’s Insights on The Open Network (TON)

For a man who rarely speaks publicly, Pavel Durov’s latest comments about The Open Network (TON) carry substantial weight. In a rare acknowledgment of the blockchain’s growth, the Telegram founder revealed that Silicon Valley’s biggest players – Sequoia, Benchmark, Ribbit, Draper, and VY Capital – have collectively poured over $400 million into TON, offering not just capital but public endorsement.

Durov framed TON’s rise in pragmatic terms. Over the past year, it has become Telegram’s de facto financial layer – the only way creators can withdraw earnings, the sole payment rail for ads in most markets, and the mandatory blockchain for hundreds of millions using mini apps.

> 📈 Good month for The Open Network: the biggest names in venture capital invested over $400M into TON and publicly backed it. Among them are the legends of Silicon Valley: Sequoia, Benchmark, Ribbit, Draper, VY, and other world-famous funds 💸
> — Pavel Durov (@durov) March 26, 2025

Furthermore, Telegram’s digital assets, ranging from usernames to virtual gifts, now exist exclusively as TON-based NFTs. “The in-app economy is scaling faster than anticipated,” Durov notes.

He highlighted TON’s technical edge: sharding architecture built to process transactions at a scale suitable for Telegram’s user base – nearly one billion people – claiming it is one of the few blockchains with strong fundamentals rather than mere speculation.

The update coincided with Durov resolving his legal standoff with French authorities.