Telegram steps into Web3 advertising
On March 21, 2025, messaging giant Telegram officially launched its blockchain-based advertising platform, built on The Open Network (TON). This move allows anyone to promote their content across public Telegram channels using crypto — and, more importantly, lets channel owners earn 50% of the advertising revenue directly in Toncoin (TON).
With over 800 million active users, Telegram’s entry into decentralized advertising could reshape how creators, communities, and advertisers interact on social media.
How it works
Telegram’s new ad platform is fully integrated with TON, meaning all ad purchases and earnings happen on-chain. Advertisers pay in Toncoin, and eligible public channels (with over 1,000 subscribers) receive a share of that income.
Ad placements are simple and non-intrusive — short messages that appear in public channels, respecting Telegram’s long-standing policy of no ads in private chats or groups.
To cash out or reinvest, channel owners can use the Telegram Wallet, which now offers seamless integration with TON for sending, receiving, and storing funds.
Why this matters
This is one of the first major examples of a Web2 platform adopting Web3 infrastructure for real revenue-generating use cases. By launching this on-chain advertising system, Telegram gives creators more control and transparency, and allows the community to directly benefit from the platform’s growth.
It also showcases TON as a scalable blockchain, capable of handling large-scale microtransactions in real time — something that has challenged many Layer 1 networks in the past.
Impact on the TON ecosystem
The launch has already boosted TON’s visibility. Following the announcement, Toncoin surged over 10% in value, and transaction volume on the network hit an all-time high. Analysts now expect a wave of new developers and users to join the TON ecosystem, spurred by real-world utility and Telegram’s massive user base.
Projects building on TON — from NFT platforms to mini-games — are expected to benefit from the increased traffic and interest.
What’s next?
Telegram plans to expand monetization options, including premium content, subscriptions, and tipping, all using Toncoin. The team also hinted at launching analytics tools for advertisers and allowing smart contract-based customization for campaigns — making Telegram a potential competitor to traditional ad networks like Google Ads and Meta.
Conclusion: Telegram is quietly building the future of crypto-powered social media
By embedding blockchain into its core business model, Telegram isn’t just experimenting with crypto — it’s setting the standard. With TON now powering real economic activity for millions of users, this could mark the beginning of a new era where creators are directly rewarded, ads are transparent, and blockchain becomes invisible but essential infrastructure for the apps we already use every day.
