The popular social networking app, Telegram, recently introduced a new in-app browser feature that supports decentralized websites, also known as TON Sites, making it available to its nearly 1 billion users across both mobile and desktop platforms. The feature seamlessly blends messaging and news consumption, enhancing user interactions. Telegram’s newly launched support for TON Sites enables users to create a web server for their website and make it accessible via The Open Network.
Further, Telegram also ushered its Mini App Store into the market, a development which had been anticipated since earlier this year. This new feature also introduces the concept of “Stars,” a unit of the Mini App payment system, which can be sent among users. Stars are regularly used by a significant portion of Telegram’s user base, with over 500 million users interacting with Mini Apps on a monthly basis.
Among the most popular Telegram apps is Hamster Kombat, a crypto game that has over 300 million players in just a short span of four months. Another well-liked app is the social entertainment platform, Catizen, which has accumulated 26 million players and earned $16 million from in-app purchases since its launch in March. The app has also generated around $160,000 dedicated to stray cat rescue operations. Both Hamster Kombat and Catizen operate using The Open Network’s native cryptocurrency, Toncoin (TON), witnessing a 467% increase over the last year.
The Open Network (TON) and its development team are also striving to enhance their blockchain, recently launching the W5 smart wallet standard in collaboration with Tonkeeper. The launch offers gasless transactions and aims to bring cryptocurrency to a wider audience. CEO of Tonkeeper, Oleg Andreev, highlighted that this new offering allows users to engage with TON’s ecosystem without the need to acquire Toncoin first, removing significant barriers to entry.