Southeast Asia Becomes the Beating Heart of the TON Ecosystem

by
Victoria d’Este

Printed: September 11, 2025 at 10:52 am Up to date: September 11, 2025 at 10:53 am

by Victor Dey

Edited and fact-checked:
September 11, 2025 at 10:52 am

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From headline keynotes in Manila to strategic aspect occasions in Kuala Lumpur, TON’s presence at latest Southeast Asian conferences has been each seen and intentional. In our dialog, Alena, Director of Ecosystem Success, and Josephine, Head of SSEA Hub, mirrored on how these gatherings have accelerated developer outreach, neighborhood constructing, and ecosystem development, setting the stage for TON’s subsequent chapter within the area.

How would you assess TON’s total expertise at Philippine Blockchain Week 2025 and different latest occasions like Malaysia Blockchain Week? What key goals had been achieved at these conferences?

Philippine Blockchain Week 2025 – Key Takeaways

Expertise Evaluation:

TON was prominently featured on stage — each in a panel dialogue with Kaia, Polkadot, and Tether, and a solo keynote introducing our TON Hub and the main focus areas for TON in 2025.

Extra publicity got here by way of an academic session hosted by Cryptology Academy, partaking blockchain college students and builders.

Aims Achieved:

Developer Outreach: Held conversations with main developer communities (Bitskwela, Web3Bulacan, Mr. Meric, and so on.) to plan dev onboarding initiatives.

Ecosystem Promotion: Introduced TON-native use circumstances like Aliniex (native on-ramp), Storm Commerce (main perp DEX), and NFT Telegram items and Stickers as the important thing narrative.

KOL Engagement: Linked with dozens of native content material creators and KOLs.

Regulatory Insights: Mentioned market constraints with Tether’s native crew, which was helpful in shaping how we place TON within the Philippines.

Malaysia Blockchain Week – Key Takeaways

Expertise Evaluation:

TON secured a keynote talking slot and media publicity by way of MYBW’s official channel.

Actively engaged in high-value aspect occasions (Pudgy Penguin, and so on.) and held strategic 1:1 conferences with buyers, incubators, media, and scholar orgs.

Aims Achieved:

Venture Pipeline: Linked with a number of promising groups (GameFi, DeFi, sticker apps) and shared TON onboarding assets.

Strategic Relationships: Constructed relationships with main gamers like Plutus VC, Outlier Ventures, CH90, APU BCC, and Lydian Labs (who will promote TON to incubated initiatives).

Scholar Dev Entry: Initiated collaboration with APU Blockchain Membership, a key gateway to school devs in Malaysia.

We achieved sturdy speaker visibility on each the principle levels and aspect occasions, guaranteeing constant publicity all through. Throughout each markets, we engaged with dozens of builders and communities, whereas additionally constructing out native KOL and influencer networks, significantly round NFTs and Mini Apps. As well as, we strengthened {our relationships} with high regional VCs, incubators, and media retailers. Lastly, the occasions offered priceless market insights, together with developer ratios, the evolving regulatory local weather, and the affect of content material creators.

Which TON initiatives or merchandise generated essentially the most curiosity amongst attendees and individuals?

Telegram Property (NFTs, Items, Mini Apps)

TON Items and NFT-related use circumstances (e.g. Tonnel, Getgems) drew sturdy consideration, particularly from content material creators, buying and selling communities, and NFT influencers.

At each occasions, Mini App Video games had been a recurring level of pleasure — a number of KOLs and initiatives expressed curiosity in constructing or selling Telegram-integrated video games and sticker apps on TON.

DeFi on TON

Merchandise like StormTrade and discussions round DeFi verticals had been well-received, significantly in Malaysia, the place DeFi protocols and merchants dominated the occasion panorama.

Attendees at DeFi-focused aspect occasions (like Bagel Finance’s meetup) confirmed curiosity in TON’s rising DeFi ecosystem and its Telegram-native UX benefit.

TON Funds & On/Off-Ramps

Options like Aliniex (PH) and AquaNow (MY) sparked deeper conversations round funds, on-chain usability, and native fiat ramps.

The dialogue with Tether’s Philippines crew highlighted each the necessity and alternative for compliant, seamless fee rails on TON in rising markets.

What would you say about TON’s core mission right this moment, and the way is it totally different from the early days?

In 2025, TON’s deep integration with Telegram is enabling a brand new sort of digital expertise the place funds, apps, digital property, and AI are seamlessly woven into on a regular basis chats. By embedding wallets, mini apps, and digital possession straight into conversations, TON makes it potential for customers to entry monetary providers, utilities, and alternatives multi functional place: Telegram. 

Within the early days, the inspiration was laid with core infrastructure: wallets like @pockets, Tonkeeper, MyTonWallet, and protocols similar to DeDust, STON.fi, Tonstakers, and EVAA, together with the primary wave of video games. This was adopted by a surge of mass adoption in 2024 with the rise of Tap2Earn apps like Notcoin, DOGS, and Catizen — every surpassing 20M customers, a lot of whom got here on-chain for the primary time.

This yr, our focus is extra focused: we’re doubling down on 5 key areas — Funds, Easy Finance, Video games, Telegram-native property (Items and Stickers), and Sensible Brokers. To assist this imaginative and prescient, we’ve launched a extra strategic ecosystem assist mannequin, providing hands-on assist in advertising, fundraising, product partnerships, and past to groups constructing sustainable, high-impact apps on TON.

Trying again, what are TON’s largest achievements in Southeast Asia thus far, and the way have these formed your technique for 2025?

Builder-Centered Ecosystem Development

We launched two editions of IdeaTON, TON’s flagship hackathon in Southeast Asia, which attracted over 70 challenge submissions and a whole lot of developer individuals. Past the hackathons, we hosted on-line workshops, coding classes, and builder calls throughout Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and India—laying the inspiration for a robust native builder neighborhood. 

Our presence prolonged to main offline occasions as effectively, with talking engagements at Philippines Blockchain Week, Malaysia Blockchain Week, and GM Vietnam. In collaboration with Phenikaa College, Tether, and OKX, we additionally co-hosted an offline occasion in Vietnam that introduced collectively 800 college students.

Deep Neighborhood & KOL Engagement

Constructed grassroots momentum by way of AMA classes, offline meetups in 4 nations, and localized content material efforts.

Cultivated sturdy ties with SEA-based KOLs, particularly in Vietnam and the Philippines—guaranteeing TON-native narratives attain the suitable audiences.

Bootcamps

Have 3 Hacker League Bootcamp in 3 cities:

We achieved sturdy speaker visibility on each the principle levels and aspect occasions, guaranteeing constant publicity all through. Throughout each markets, we engaged with dozens of builders and communities, whereas additionally constructing out native KOL and influencer networks — significantly round NFTs and Mini Apps. As well as, we strengthened {our relationships} with high regional VCs, incubators, and media retailers. Lastly, the occasions offered priceless market insights, together with developer ratios, the evolving regulatory local weather, and the affect of content material creators.

What are essentially the most promising areas within the TON ecosystem proper now — DeFi, video games, social apps, id?

Now we have fairly a transparent focus now: Funds, Easy Finance, Video games, Telegram property (Items, stickers), and Sensible brokers. 

Funds 

TON is shortly turning into a worldwide funds layer constructed straight into Telegram, the place sending cash is so simple as sending a message: by way of @pockets in Telegram and the entire array of different ecosystem mini apps. 

Past peer-to-peer transfers, we’re seeing actual traction throughout numerous use circumstances: cross-border remittances (Anzo), native on/off-ramps (Aliniex, Bitso), stablecoin funds for on-line providers, crypto playing cards for spending anyplace (Holders, RedotPay), marketplaces with cashback and loyalty rewards (TONCash), and even real-world providers like reserving journey (EntravelX, TON Journey) or experience hailing (Linkroad). These use circumstances are already reside and fixing actual issues for on a regular basis customers.

Easy Finance

Historically, DeFi in Web3 has centered round attracting institutional and whale liquidity. TON has made sturdy progress on this enviornment—TVL not too long ago hit all-time highs, pushed by rising institutional curiosity and integrations with custody suppliers, cross-chain bridges, and institutional-grade infrastructure. However TON’s actual edge lies in its integration into Telegram and entry to its +1 billion retail customers. This creates a uncommon alternative to construct a mass-market DeFi layer, centered not on complexity however on simplicity.

TON’s DeFi stack has been rising steadily since day one. Core protocols like STON.fi and DeDust (DEXs), Tonstakers (liquid staking), and EVAA (lending) laid the groundwork. They’ve since been joined by next-generation gamers like Torch (secure swaps and yield-bearing stablecoin tgUSD), TONCO (concentrated liquidity market maker), and Fiva (yield tokenization). These protocols are actually evolving to fulfill the wants of on a regular basis customers by launching Mini Apps with simplified, mobile-first interfaces.

We’re additionally seeing early DeFi gamers like Tradoor and Storm Commerce — perpetual DEXs — optimizing their interfaces for mainstream, mobile-native customers. That is the route we consider in: sensible, yield-generating merchandise delivered by way of consumer-grade UX.

To assist this, we’re embedding actual property into these experiences: Ethena (as much as 18% APY, reside), Tether Gold (reside), Telegram bonds tokenized by Libre (upcoming), tgBTC (decentralized Bitcoin on TON, upcoming), and several other new stablecoins will quickly be accessible. For customers, it means unlocking monetary alternative—not on a separate platform, however proper contained in the messenger they use on daily basis.

Video games

Telegram-native video games took off in 2024, proving the ability of chat-based distribution and social virality. Titles like Catizen, Bombie, and Cattea — initially launched on WeChat and now ported to Telegram — collectively reached 54M customers, generated $49M in income, and introduced 2.5M customers on-chain, with 1.1M paying gamers and ARPPU as excessive as $100. 

As Tap2Earn codecs saturate, we’re shifting focus to the subsequent wave: social, hybrid, and mid-core video games designed for sustainability, sturdy monetization, and long-term retention. 

Telegram-native property like stickers and items are additionally turning into highly effective instruments for consumer engagement and in-game monetization, creating new worth loops between chat, content material, and crypto. With no downloads, seamless chat integration, and native on-chain mechanics, the Telegram + TON stack affords an unprecedented distribution and monetization mannequin for sport builders.

IP & Digital property

We’re turning Telegram into the house of the worldwide fan financial system by onboarding main IPs and remodeling collectibles into full-fledged model ecosystems. It begins with Telegram-native property like items and stickers, which may now change into NFTs with enforced royalties and in-app utility. From there, IPs can scale into video games and ultimately tokens. This mannequin — confirmed by ecosystems like Pudgy Penguins and LINE — lets manufacturers construct sticky, monetizable fandoms straight on TON.

We’ve already seen early success: Pudgy Penguins launched a number of sticker packs and a mini sport; BAYC, Doodles, and Pucca debuted collectible sticker units; and Snoop Dogg launched a Telegram Reward assortment ($12M in gross sales over <1h) — with many extra IP drops coming quickly. New sticker marketplaces are additionally launching, unlocking secondary gross sales and extra income streams for creators and types. With Telegram’s unmatched attain, TON’s composability, and community-led execution, we’re giving international IPs the best, most rewarding technique to activate digital fandom — beginning with collectibles and scaling towards brand-owned economies.

Sensible brokers

AI turns into way more highly effective when embedded straight into chat. Telegram is the right atmosphere: it’s the place customers already speak, transact, and launch apps — making it a pure dwelling for good brokers. We’re seeing a brand new class of AI-powered bots that assist customers make investments, store, or automate duties — all backed by TON’s crypto rails. AI isn’t changing interfaces right here; it’s enhancing them, providing a frictionless layer of utility that supercharges engagement throughout the ecosystem.

Might you give us a sneak peek at any main product launches, strategic partnerships, or ecosystem expansions that TON has deliberate for 2025?

TON has an thrilling roadmap for 2025, spanning DeFi, safety, interoperability, and branded digital property.

On the DeFi entrance, we’re increasing the vary of accessible, yield-generating property built-in into Telegram. Ethena is already reside throughout main TON wallets, providing as much as 18% APY. Tether Gold has launched as an asset which appeals to and is understandable for a web2 investor. Coming quickly: Telegram bonds tokenized by Libre, tgBTC (TON’s decentralized Bitcoin), and new stablecoins, together with yield-bearing ones – all designed to plug seamlessly into easy, Telegram-native funding apps.

We’re additionally doubling down on safety, working intently with high audit corporations like Path of Bits and Zellic to strengthen the protection and reliability of core infrastructure and DeFi protocols throughout the ecosystem.

On interoperability, we’ll be saying main developments quickly that may make it even simpler to attach TON with different networks and ecosystems.

Within the IP and digital collectibles house, we’re welcoming a number of the world’s most iconic manufacturers. Pudgy Penguins have already launched sticker packs and a mini sport on Telegram. Different main names like BAYC, Doodles, and Pucca have launched sticker collections on Sticker Pack — main sticker retailer on Telegram, whereas Snoop Dogg’s Telegram Reward assortment is reside — with extra movie star and IP drops on the way in which. We’re additionally seeing the emergence of latest Telegram sticker marketplaces, unlocking creator monetization and collectible buying and selling at scale.

That is the yr when TON moved from foundational infrastructure to full-fledged shopper adoption throughout verticals.

Why is Southeast Asia such a key area for TON? What makes it strategically vital in your view?

Telegram-Native Inhabitants

SEA is without doubt one of the most energetic Telegram areas globally, with thousands and thousands of customers counting on it day by day for social, enterprise, and crypto communication.

This aligns completely with TON’s mission to change into the blockchain layer of Telegram — bringing native pockets, funds, and apps on to customers the place they already are.

Cell-First, Social-Pushed Habits

Customers in SEA are mobile-first and socially engaged, making them best adopters for click-to-earn, Mini Apps, and socialFi merchandise constructed on TON.

The virality and neighborhood dynamics right here assist quick adoption of latest apps—particularly meme cash, video games, and gamified experiences.

Speedy Crypto Adoption & Grassroots Development

Nations like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia are constantly among the many high in international crypto adoption indexes.

The consumer base is younger, curious, and open to experimentation—particularly when monetary instruments are embedded inside acquainted platforms like Telegram.

Sturdy Developer & Builder Base

SEA has a rising wave of blockchain builders, many already constructing on Ethereum, Solana, or BNB Chain.

TON’s Mini App framework affords these devs a brand new frontier to faucet into Telegram’s 1B+ customers, making SEA best for bootstrapping the ecosystem.

Regulatory Range & Strategic Flexibility

Not like areas with heavy crypto restrictions, SEA affords a mixture of progressive and adaptive regulatory environments — enabling testing and scaling of latest apps.

Southeast Asia represents greater than only a fast-growing area — it’s the best product-market match for TON. The world combines excessive Telegram utilization, fast adoption curves, and robust builder vitality with a cultural affinity for memes, video games, and community-first initiatives. TON views Southeast Asia because the launchpad for mainstream Web3 adoption inside Telegram and is directing assets, occasions, and partnerships to speed up this imaginative and prescient.

With Vietnam rising as the subsequent main cease for TON, what can we count on by way of upcoming occasions, activations, or neighborhood development there?

1. Main On-Floor Activations

Metropolis-based Roadshows: Mini-events in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, and probably Da Nang, centered on native dev teams, scholar communities, and Web3 startups.

2. Developer & Builder Applications

IdeaTON Vietnam Monitor: A devoted native version of the TON hackathon, with Vietnamese devs competing, studying Mini App growth, and becoming a member of the TON ecosystem.

College & Guild Outreach: Partnerships with tech universities, coding golf equipment, and dev guilds to run workshops and boot camps, in addition to sponsor blockchain programs with TON integration.

3. Gaming, Meme, and SocialFi Focus

Tapping into Vietnam’s sturdy meme coin tradition and gaming urge for food, count on localized campaigns round TON Mini App video games, meme coin launches, and NFT/TON Reward integrations.

Assist for native groups to construct viral click-to-earn video games inside Telegram utilizing TON SDKs.

Growth of the SSEA Hub, providing rewards, content material creation bounties, and internet hosting AMAs to activate native customers.

Nearer collaboration with high Vietnamese KOLs, particularly these in buying and selling, gaming, and Telegram-native niches.

Why Vietnam Issues 

Vietnam combines one of many world’s highest crypto adoption charges with a thriving younger developer neighborhood and deep integration into Telegram tradition. Its meme-loving, gaming-driven viewers makes the nation a really perfect launchpad for TON’s “Telegram x Web3” technique in Asia.

How is consumer habits or crypto adoption totally different in SEA in comparison with different markets, and the way are you adapting to that?

How SEA Differs from Different Markets

1. Telegram = Main Channel

In SEA, Telegram is not only a chat app—it’s the place customers uncover initiatives, commerce suggestions, be part of communities, and work together with bots/video games. In distinction, Western markets rely extra on X (Twitter), Discord, or Web3-native frontends.

2. Cell-First, Quick-Adopting

SEA customers are mobile-native and extra open to attempting new tendencies (e.g., click-to-earn video games, meme tokens, gamified DeFi). Pace of adoption is excessive—pushed by social virality, KOL affect, and neighborhood dynamics.

Customers in SEA care extra about rewards, accessibility, and enjoyable, much less about technical specs like TPS or consensus fashions. Initiatives that really feel relatable and interactive (meme cash, prediction video games, mini apps) develop quicker than infra or tooling-focused ones.

4. Retail-Dominant & Grassroots

SEA is bottom-up: pushed by merchants, KOLs, and tight-knit Telegram teams—not establishments or large VC narratives. Memes, tendencies, and peer affect are extra highly effective than roadmap milestones.

How TON Is Adapting to SEA Habits

Constructing Inside Telegram

Launching and supporting Mini Apps, wallets, and video games straight inside Telegram—the place SEA customers already reside.

Meme & Recreation-Pleasant Technique

Prioritizing meme coin instruments, viral video games, and TON-native NFTs/Items that talk to SEA tradition.Localized Neighborhood Constructing

Activating native guilds, ambassadors, and KOLs in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Operating workshops, builder calls, and AMAs in native languages and time zones.

Reward-Based mostly OnboardingFocusing on “earn to onboard” experiences (clickers, airdrops, referral bonuses) that resonate with the incentive-first habits in SEA.

Are there particular nations in SEA — similar to Vietnam, the Philippines, or Malaysia — the place you propose to double down in 2025? What drives these decisions?

Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have been strategically chosen as focus markets because of a mix of excessive Telegram utilization, sturdy grassroots crypto adoption, and rising meme, gaming, and developer communities. Vietnam constantly ranks among the many high nations for crypto adoption, with a extremely Telegram-native and meme-friendly tradition, a robust developer expertise pool, and an energetic hackathon scene. 

Deliberate initiatives embrace large-scale offline occasions, college outreach, an IdeaTON monitor, and partnerships with native dev guilds to launch meme and gaming campaigns. The Philippines stands out as an early adopter of play-to-earn and Web3 cellular video games, with Telegram being a central communication and gaming platform. 

The market is extremely retail-driven, supported by instructional orgs like Bitskwela and Web3Bulacan. Submit-PBW 2025, there will probably be a give attention to onboarding extra builders, selling localized meme cash and TON Items, and activating KOLs by way of Mini App video games.

Indonesia affords one of many largest mobile-first, Gen Z consumer bases in Southeast Asia, with excessive crypto curiosity and robust natural development by way of Telegram and TikTok. Native initiatives are starting to discover TON integrations, and deliberate efforts embrace developer and neighborhood meetups, localized campaigns, KOL partnerships, and academic gaming content material. 

In the meantime, Malaysia is rising as a regulatory-friendly hub for Web3 startups, with a developer neighborhood that’s fluent in English and related to each SEA and broader APAC ecosystems. Key plans embrace strategic ecosystem partnerships, integration into universities and workshops, and internet hosting hybrid Web3 x Telegram occasions. 

Throughout all 4 markets, the driving components for focus embrace excessive Telegram density, maturity of meme and dev cultures, sturdy retail crypto adoption, profitable occasion traction in 2024–2025, and a regulatory atmosphere that enables for innovation in wallets, NFTs, DeFi, and TON Items.

What tech or crypto pattern do you suppose is method overrated, and what’s one thing underrated that TON is betting on as an alternative?

One pattern we consider is overrated is the obsession with over-engineered, complicated crypto experiences — whether or not that’s hyper-financialized DeFi protocols, speculative gaming economies, or multi-step onboarding flows that solely enchantment to energy customers. These fashions typically chase short-term hype however fail to transform actual customers or ship lasting worth.

At TON, we’re betting on what’s nonetheless underrated within the broader crypto house: radical simplicity and native integration into on a regular basis consumer habits. As an alternative of constructing round friction, we’re embedding actual utility straight inside Telegram—the place individuals already spend their time. Which means seamless funds, 1-click DeFi, chat-native mini apps, and unique Telegram items and stickers that unlock totally new digital experiences and monetization fashions. These aren’t simply gimmicks — they’re laying the inspiration for a extra intuitive and accessible web powered by crypto, for a whole lot of thousands and thousands of individuals.

If you happen to needed to outline success for TON over the subsequent 3–5 years, what would that appear like, past consumer numbers and TVL?

Success for TON isn’t nearly hitting large consumer numbers or TVL milestones — it’s about turning into invisible infrastructure for on a regular basis digital life. If in 3–5 years, 2 out of three pals are carrying an NFT reward on their Telegram profile, sending cash as simply as a message, or taking part in a sport that’s absolutely on-chain with out even realizing it — then we’ve performed our job.

Our north star is straightforward: to make crypto so simple as sending a message. It ought to simply work — natively, seamlessly, and socially — contained in the platforms individuals already love, like Telegram. When customers work together with TON-powered apps not as a result of they’re Web3, however as a result of they’re higher, extra enjoyable, or extra rewarding — that’s actual success.

About The Writer

Victoria is a author on a wide range of know-how subjects together with Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her in depth expertise permits her to put in writing insightful articles for the broader viewers.

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Victoria d’Este