TON Blockchain: What It Is and How It Relates to Telegram Stars

What Is TON?

TON (The Open Network), officially renamed to GRAM since June 2026, is a high-speed third-generation blockchain closely integrated with Telegram. TON is not just a cryptocurrency, but an entire ecosystem: a blockchain, a virtual machine, wallets, decentralized applications, and infrastructure for Telegram.

It is on the TON (GRAM) blockchain that Telegram Stars are stored and transferred. Without TON, Stars would not exist in their current form.

TON Architecture: What Makes It Special?

1. Multi-Level Architecture

TON uses a unique multi-level architecture with two types of chains:

• Masterchain — the main chain, managing network configuration and validators
• Workchains — working chains, processing most transactions in parallel

This architecture allows TON to process up to 100,000 transactions per second — significantly more than Ethereum (~15 TPS) or even Solana (~65,000 TPS theoretically).

2. Sharding

TON uses dynamic sharding — the network automatically splits into smaller parts as load increases. This means that TON's throughput grows with the network, rather than dropping.

3. TVM — TON Virtual Machine

TON uses its own virtual machine TVM (TON Virtual Machine) for executing smart contracts. TVM is a stack-based virtual machine written in C++, optimized for maximum performance.

Smart contracts for TON are written in FunC (low-level) or Tact (high-level, similar to Solidity).

How Are Stars Connected to TON?

Technical Connection

Telegram Stars (XTR) are a jetton (Jetton standard token) on the TON network. Jetton is the equivalent of ERC-20 on Ethereum, adapted for the TON architecture.

Every Telegram account has a corresponding TON address where Stars are stored. When you buy Stars through Telegram, they are credited to your TON address as a jetton balance.

TON Wallet

TON Wallet is the official Telegram wallet for managing crypto assets on the TON network:

• Storage — TON, Stars (XTR), USDT, and other jettons
• Transfer — sending assets to other Telegram users
• Purchase — buying TON and Stars through the built-in store
• Exchange — exchanging Stars for USDT through DEX

TON Wallet is available as a Mini App directly in Telegram — you don't need to install a separate app.

Exchanging Stars for USDT Through TON

When you exchange Stars for USDT (through Fragment or Flash Swap (@flash_swap_bot)), technically the following happens:

1. Stars (XTR jetton) are deducted from your TON address
2. USDT (Tether jetton on the TON network) are credited to your address
3. The transaction is recorded on the TON blockchain in 1–3 seconds

USDT on TON is a full-fledged stablecoin that can be:

• Transferred to an exchange (Binance, Bybit, etc.)
• Exchanged for fiat through P2P
• Used in other DeFi applications on TON

TON Foundation and Governance

Since 2021, TON has been managed by the TON Foundation — a non-profit organization registered in Switzerland. The Foundation is responsible for:

• Protocol development — updates, security improvements
• Developer grants — funding projects in the ecosystem
• Compliance — regulatory compliance
• Community — supporting developers and users

Important: Telegram does not own TON Foundation. Pavel Durov and Telegram support TON, but the blockchain is managed in a decentralized manner.

TON → GRAM Rebranding: What Does It Mean?

On June 15, 2026, the TON community voted on the renaming:

• 81.22% "in favor" of rebranding from TON to GRAM
• The blockchain remains the same — only the name changes
• The token ticker may change from TON to GRAM
• Stars (XTR) are not affected — they remain jettons on the network

Reasons for the rebranding:

• Legal conflicts with the cosmetic brand The Ordinary (the "TON" trademark)
• Desire to clearly separate the brand from Telegram (Telegram ≠ TON)
• GRAM is the historical name of the project (from "Grammessage")

Application Ecosystem on TON

More than 1,000 decentralized applications run on TON:

DeFi (Decentralized Finance)

• DeDust — DEX (decentralized exchange)
• Ston.fi — DEX with liquidity aggregator
• TonWhale — analytics platform

NFT

• GetGems — NFT marketplace
• SpaceTelegraph — NFT collections

Social Applications

• Fragment — the official Telegram marketplace
• TON Keeper — wallet with advanced features

TON and Stars: Practical Application

For the average user, the TON and Stars ecosystem looks like this:

1. You buy Stars through Telegram
2. You use Stars in Mini Apps — games, services, subscriptions
3. If you need to withdraw money — exchange Stars for USDT through Flash Swap
4. Transfer USDT to an exchange or use it in DeFi

The TON blockchain provides speed, security, and low fees for all these operations. The transaction fee on TON is less than $0.01.

The Future of TON/GRAM

Experts predict significant growth of the TON ecosystem in 2026–2027:

• Integration with traditional finance — banking gateways for TON
• Growth in the number of developers — TON Foundation grants attract talent
• Expansion of the Jetton standard — tokenization of real-world assets
• TON Wallet improvements — biometrics, multi-signature, insurance

TON (GRAM) is a blockchain that can become a bridge between billions of Telegram users and the world of decentralized technologies. And Stars are your entry ticket to this ecosystem.