Toncoin jumps 32% as Telegram becomes top TON validator and fees near zero
Toncoin (TON) surged about 32% to around $2.89 in 24 hours, continuing a fast rally after Telegram founder Pavel Durov said Telegram will replace the TON Foundation as the ecosystem’s main driver.
The move includes validation control: Telegram is expected to become the largest validator, while new developer tools and performance upgrades are slated for the next weeks. Durov also pointed to a major economics update, with TON transaction fees cut sixfold to near zero, pushing the network toward a fee-less model—key for Telegram-native payments such as tips, bot transfers, mini-app transactions, and collectibles.
Analysts framed the announcement as a “regime change,” targeting the market’s prior bear argument that Telegram and the TON network lacked alignment. After trading around the $2.45–$2.50 area, TON then made a second push higher, hitting its highest level since Oct. 7, 2025. The rally boosted TON market cap to roughly $7.6B, briefly moving it into the top 20 and flipping LINK.
Regulatory and token-supply dynamics also entered the narrative: the article notes the potential “Clarity Act” as a tailwind and suggests 20%+ staking APR could encourage more token lock-ups. Despite the surge, earlier context warns TON fundamentals have lagged in areas like DeFi activity and fees, so this move may be more narrative/positioning-led in the near term than fundamentals-driven.
Bullish
TON’s jump is directly tied to tangible network/economics changes (fees cut to near zero) and a major control shift (Telegram as the top validator). For traders, this combination can quickly re-rate TON’s near-term utility for Telegram-native payments and encourage demand via higher staking yields and potential token lock-ups. The “regime change” framing also targets a prior bearish thesis, which typically supports momentum.
However, both summaries note that TON fundamentals may have lagged versus earlier 2024 levels (e.g., DeFi and on-chain activity). That adds a risk of volatility: once the initial narrative impulse fades, price may revert if usage metrics do not follow. Net-net, the immediate catalyst profile is strong enough to justify a bullish short- to medium-term bias for TON itself.