Written by: jk

Where is the future of blockchain heading towards mass adoption? TON + Telegram provide the most realistic answer.

Odaily Planet Daily recently had an exclusive interview with Max Crown, the new CEO of the TON Foundation. As a veteran spanning fintech and regulatory arenas, this CEO, who just took office in April, opened up not only to share TON's core blueprint for tackling large-scale Web3 applications but also to delve into the integration strategy and future vision with the super-ecosystem of Telegram.

1. Personal Journey and Leadership

Odaily: What made you join TON, and what excites you most about this role?

Max Crown: What attracted me to join TON is its potential to genuinely bring the next billion users into the crypto world — not just talk but something that can be done. After many years in fintech and regulatory fields, I increasingly realized a problem: many blockchain platforms have impressive technology, but they are simply not suitable for ordinary people to use. TON is different; its integration with Telegram means we can bring blockchain technology into people's daily lives on a large scale. This is truly disruptive — leading this change and solving real problems is what excites me the most.

Odaily: What is the long-term vision for TON under your leadership?

Max Crown: My idea is actually quite simple: let everyone use blockchain every day without even realizing it. Whether it's transferring money, using various digital services, or playing games, it should feel natural. Our ultimate goal is to make TON the underlying infrastructure for the next generation of internet applications — secure, decentralized, and accessible to everyone.

Odaily: What do you think is the toughest challenge for the foundation after you joined?

Max Crown: The biggest challenge is probably how to coordinate both sides: one side is the decentralized open-source developer community, and the other is a more centralized and faster-paced platform like Telegram. But this conflict also brings opportunities — forcing us to improve coordination methods and make tools like TON Connect more user-friendly, enhancing the experience for both developers and users.

2. Product and Ecosystem Vision

Odaily: What excites you most about TON/Telegram now and in the future?

Max Crown: Scale. You rarely have the opportunity to work on infrastructure that is naturally integrated with applications that have a billion users. Telegram provides TON with the ability to reach users immediately, which completely changes the game. I am particularly excited about how smooth blockchain applications have become — from Mini Apps to Toncoin payments — it’s now much easier to bring ordinary users who don’t understand cryptocurrencies into the Web3 world.

Odaily: What do you think the 'super app' version of Telegram + TON will look like in a few years?

Max Crown: Imagine a world where you don't need to download 10 apps to manage your finances, purchase digital assets, or access decentralized services. It's all within Telegram. You can book services, tip creators, trade assets, play games, and transfer money all within a single chat thread. That’s the vision, and I believe we are closer to this reality than people realize.

Odaily: What are some of the most important milestones coming up?

Max Crown: Some key focus areas include expanding the Mini Apps ecosystem, increasing developer incentives, improving the user experience of TON Connect, and launching new workchains to enhance scalability. Of course, we are preparing for significant advancements in the U.S.

3. Strategic Positioning and Growth

Odaily: Looking ahead to June 2025, how would you answer the question: "What makes TON different from other layer one blockchains?"

Max Crown: TON is not just competing to be the best blockchain for crypto-native users; we are building it to serve everyday users globally. This is a fundamentally different approach. Most blockchains focus on capturing the existing Web3 audience. We focus on creating a new audience by embedding blockchain directly into Telegram, which is used by over a billion people. This is not just about scale: it’s a combination of distribution, onboarding, and user experience.

Odaily: What is the primary strategic focus of the foundation at this time?

Max Crown: Three things: scaling, simplifying, and supporting. We are expanding infrastructure to match our growth, simplifying onboarding through TON Connect and Telegram wallets, and expanding developer support through funding, documentation, and ecosystem projects. We want to make it easier for people to build and for users to adopt.

Odaily: Is there any plan to maintain the wave of enthusiasm brought by Mini-app last year?

Max Crown: The motivation comes from results. We have grown from 4 million users to over 40 million users. Now is the time to convert this excitement into sustainable engagement. This means deepening Telegram integration, bringing real-world use cases to market, and maintaining the pace of innovation — not just technically, but also in user experience.

4. Telegram Mini-App Ecosystem

Odaily: What have you learned from the Telegram mini-app craze?

Max Crown: The biggest insight is that distribution channels are more important than complex functionalities. Mini Apps have shown us that when developers can directly reach a massive user base — and users can start without dealing with various complicated operations — the pace of adoption can be very fast. That’s why many TON-based applications are developing faster than traditional Web3 applications.

Odaily: How will the deep integration of Toncoin and Telegram drive adoption?

Max Crown: The impact will be significant. When users can earn and spend Toncoin as easily as they do with other digital currencies — and within applications they already trust — all barriers are removed. Whether it's tipping creators or paying for services, Toncoin will become a part of daily interactions rather than a separate financial tool.

5. Regulation and Compliance

Odaily: How do you handle regulation and compliance on a global scale?

Max Crown: My thoughts from my time at MoonPay still apply — don't wait for regulation to catch up; be proactive. This means maintaining transparency, supporting compliance tools, and keeping open communication with regulators. Especially in the U.S., the new government's attitude towards cryptocurrencies is friendlier, and we are preparing to align with any frameworks that may come out.

6. Community and Culture

Odaily: Do you have anything to say to developers and speculators?

Max Crown: For developers: Keep building. You are the core force of this ecosystem. We will support everyone through better tools, more complete documentation, and broader distribution channels via Telegram. For those trading coins: Keep having fun. But remember one thing — what we are doing is meant to exist for the long term.

Odaily: Is there anything else you would like to discuss that we haven't covered today?

Max Crown: I think one point that people often overlook is that we are not just creating a blockchain. We are building the infrastructure for the next phase of the internet — a decentralized phase that truly belongs to users and is accessible to everyone. And our approach doesn’t require anyone to change their current app usage habits. No need to learn new things, adapt, or deal with complicated operations. What we are making is genuinely easy-to-use cryptocurrency. That’s the charm of TON.