Thomas Daniels
The Telegram-based TON Foundation has unveiled a new infrastructure initiative designed to tap into Bitcoin’s blockchain, aiming to expand BTC’s utility within its ecosystem.
Dubbed TON Teleport BTC, this innovative feature by The Open Network (TON) Foundation creates a bridge between Bitcoin (BTC) and TON, unlocking greater interoperability for decentralized applications built on the Telegram-focused chain.
Historically, most blockchains have operated in isolation, lacking the ability to communicate with each other. This has resulted in a fragmented ecosystem where assets are confined to their native networks. Ethereum (ETH) addressed this challenge by developing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which facilitates the creation of ETH-compatible tools and connectivity with Ethereum’s mainnet. Similarly, blockchain bridges have emerged as a solution, enabling the transfer of digital assets between different blockchains.
TON Teleport BTC builds on this concept by improving liquidity and integrating Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, into the TON ecosystem. According to the TON Foundation, this bridge will allow users to deploy BTC on native on-chain exchanges, lending platforms, and other popular decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms within the TON network.
The Open Network has seen substantial growth this year, fueled by the popularity of Telegram mini-games such as Notcoin (NOT) and Hamster Kombat. TON’s native token has ascended to the ninth position among all digital assets, boasting a market cap exceeding $18 billion. Additionally, the network has direct access to over 900 million global Telegram users and recently achieved 470,000 active wallets.
