The Open Network (TON) is rapidly becoming a major hub for onchain innovation, combining fast transactions, low fees, and a growing array of decentralized applications. It's found particular favor with retail users, enticed by its focus on fun and its native integration of mini-dapps into the Telegram messenger.
After a slow start, TON has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem of projects pushing the boundaries of what can be built with blockchain. The number of activated TON wallets has surpassed 34 million, with daily transactions exceeding 6.8 million. From wallets to decentralized exchanges and gaming platforms, TON's ecosystem showcases the best web3 has to offer.
Key onchain metrics such as transaction volume, Total Value Locked (TVL), and DEX trading volume have increased more than tenfold in 2024. This expansion is partially attributed to TON's integration with Telegram, which boasts nearly 900 million users, facilitating a seamless transition from web2 to web3 for a vast global audience. The following five projects exemplify the versatility of the TON blockchain, spanning core verticals from DeFi to NFTs.
TON Play is a gaming platform that enables developers to create and launch their own web3 game. It provides a marketplace for in-game assets, enabling players to own, trade, and monetize their gaming experiences through NFTs. This approach empowers gamers by granting them true ownership of digital assets and the ability to participate in play-to-earn models.
By leveraging TON's ultra-low fees and high throughput, TON Play supports the creation of SocialFi games that are fun, interactive, and infused with fast-paced PvP competition. Developers can tap into ready-made tooling including the ability to include social leaderboards and internal messages, resulting in games that are extremely easy to pick up and a lot harder to put down.
Tonkeeper serves as a non-custodial wallet tailored for the TON blockchain, offering users a seamless interface to manage their TON, stablecoins, DeFi tokens, and memecoins. Its user-friendly design caters to both newcomers and seasoned crypto enthusiasts, providing features such as a built-in dapp browser, support for NFTs, and advanced security protocols to ensure user assets remain protected.
Beyond basic wallet functionality, Tonkeeper is committed to expanding real-world use cases by enabling users to pay for goods and services directly through the app. Innovations like gasless transactions and Tonkeeper Battery enhance user experience by simplifying transaction fees and eliminating the need for users to hold TON to cover these costs, thereby lowering barriers to entry and promoting broader adoption.
STON.fi is the preeminent TON DEX, utilizing an automated market maker (AMM) model to facilitate seamless token swaps. By providing a vast array of liquidity pools, STON.fi enables users to trade various tokens efficiently without relying on traditional order books, thus enhancing liquidity and reducing slippage.
The platform also offers yield farming opportunities, allowing users to earn rewards by staking their tokens in liquidity pools. This incentivizes participation and contributes to the overall liquidity and health of the TON ecosystem, making STON.fi a pivotal player in TON's DeFi landscape. There are many TON DEXes, but STON.fi is GOAT and for good reason. Its combination of superior UX and deep liquidity is unrivaled.
TON Domains provides a decentralized domain name system that translates human-readable names into blockchain addresses, simplifying interactions across the TON network. This system allows users to register domains with the .ton extension, making it easier to access decentralized applications and services.
An auction system for domain names ensures a fair and transparent process for domain allocation, promoting equitable access and preventing domain squatting. After registering a domain name on the TON blockchain and assigning it to your crypto wallet, you can use your domain name all across The Open Network. If you're gonna do TON, do it with a memorable TON domain.
Getgems is the leading TON NFT marketplace for trading your digital collectibles. It supports common NFT standards, providing a platform for artists and creators to showcase and monetize their work. By offering a user-friendly interface and robust infrastructure, Getgems contributes to the growing NFT culture on TON, enabling users to explore and invest in unique digital collections.
With a mission to "Make NFTs fun again," Getgems encapsulates everything that's great about TON. It's not trying to reinvent the wheel or unlock radical new use cases powered by novel tokenomic models. Rather, it simply wants to make it easier for mainstream users to discover crypto, enjoy themselves, and pick up some NFTs that align with their interests and aesthetic. It does all that with aplomb.
With its low fees, fast transactions, and plethora of retail-friendly dapps, TON has positioned itself as a major player in the ongoing quest to mainstream blockchain. The standout projects profiled here represent just a sliver of the dapps begging to be explored on TON. With its best years still ahead of it, we're at the beginning of what promises to be a dynamic journey for The Open Network.