Origins: Telegram’s Ambitious Start
Telegram launched the Telegram Open Network in 2018 to integrate payments, dApps, and digital services into its messaging platform. The plan was bold: build a blockchain capable of handling global traffic volumes while keeping transaction fees negligible.
Regulatory hurdles arrived quickly. In 2020, the SEC forced Telegram to halt its token sale and withdraw from development. For many projects, that would have been the end. For TON, it was a new beginning.