Telegram is trying to steer its users towards the TON network with new features

Telegram Wallet, the crypto wallet built into the Telegram app, announced a few weeks ago that it would be introducing on-chain returns for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT holders directly within the Telegram messaging app. The feature is powered by TON Wallet and was developed in collaboration with the Morpho lending protocol and several other providers.

Just to remind you, Telegram Wallet is the regular wallet that Telegram manages and owns the private keys, while TON Wallet is a decentralized, self-managed wallet operating under the same umbrella. So if someone just wants to use their wallet for quick sending and receiving, Telegram Wallet might be enough for them, but if they want to use dApps, make crypto payments, or generate returns, they need TON Wallet.

Telegram is doing everything it can to drive users to TON

The recently announced feature will create different pools where users can invest their assets in strategies that generate variable returns – like a traditional portfolio. The highest return is expected to be provided by the Re7 DeFi USDT strategy, which promises an annual percentage yield (APY) of 18%, but there are also Bitcoin and Ethereum strategies. Basically, such a strategy places USDT in lending pools, continuously reinvests the returns, and continuously regroups for higher returns. The new Telegram Wallet feature announced follows a trend in which service providers aim to eliminate the technical barriers associated with DeFi, including setting up and managing multiple wallets, bridges, or even the use of extra applications.

Telegram has over 1 billion users worldwide, of which about 150 million have activated the Wallet feature. It’s no wonder the platform is doing everything it can to drive more users to the crypto wallet and keep as many of them on board as possible during their activities. If the news is true, then native Bitcoin and Ethereum direct deposits will also be available at some point, packaged within the TON ecosystem, allowing for yield and transfers.

According to the latest, reliable data available, Telegram, founded by Pavel Durov, achieved $870 million in operating revenue in the first half of 2025, with roughly $300 million of that coming from exclusivity agreements related to TON, also founded by Durov. Developers have been working since 2024 to connect Telegram’s massive user base to the products of the TON ecosystem, but so far with mixed results. Users have come in droves, but they haven’t stayed active when rewards have been reduced or eliminated. A good example of this was the hype of tap-to-earn games back in 2024 (like Notcoin or Hamster Kombat), which brought tens of millions of users to TON, but the majority of users only clicked for the reward and did not remain active in the TON ecosystem.