Recently, Telegram released three blockbuster news in succession, igniting the market's enthusiasm for Telegram's ecological token Toncoin (TON): partnering with Elon Musk's xAI to integrate AI chatbot Grok into the platform; plans to issue US$1.5 billion of five-year bonds, which are backed by BlackRock, Citadel and other giants; and the TON Foundation's appointment of Nikola Plecas, a former executive of Visa's crypto team, as vice president of payments. Driven by this, the price of Toncoin soared by as much as 29.8% in 24 hours to $3.37, and its fully diluted valuation (FDV) exceeded $17.8 billion. These three benefits are independent but echo each other, and together they inject strong impetus into the future of the Telegram and TON ecosystems.
Grok Integration: AI Ignites the Super App Vision for Telegram
Since its founding in 2013 by Pavel Durov, Telegram has grown to become an instant messaging platform with more than 1 billion users worldwide thanks to its dedication to privacy and efficient communication capabilities. In 2024, Telegram will achieve $1.4 billion in revenue and $540 million in profits, and 15 million users will subscribe to the Premium service, demonstrating strong commercialization capabilities. In recent years, its ambitions have gone beyond messaging apps to launch features such as crypto wallets and decentralized applications (DApps) through deep integration with The Open Network (TON) blockchain, moving towards a grand Web3 blueprint. Artificial intelligence is the next outlet for its ecological upgrading. In March 2025, Telegram tested the waters to access the Grok feature, triggering a slight fluctuation in the price of Toncoin. This comprehensive partnership with xAI is a key step in Telegram's transformation into an "AI-driven super app", which aims to enhance the user experience and strengthen its leading position in Web3 through intelligent features.
xAI is Musk's AI pioneer, dedicated to accelerating human scientific discovery through AI. Its flagship product, Grok, is based on the concept of "maximizing the truth" and "user-friendliness", not only answering everyday questions, but also assisting with complex tasks such as data analysis, code debugging, and more. Grok has accumulated a lot of user feedback on the X platform, showing strong interaction capabilities. The partnership extends Grok's reach to Telegram's 1 billion users, providing xAI with global user data and diverse scenarios. According to the discussion of the X platform, xAI defeated giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic in the bidding, showing the precision of strategic vision. The two parties' concepts on privacy protection and technological innovation are in line with each other, laying the foundation for the integration of AI and Web3.
According to Durov's disclosure on the X platform, Telegram signed a one-year cooperation agreement with xAI, whereby xAI pays $300 million (including cash and equity) and shares 50% of the revenue from Grok subscriptions sold through Telegram. Grok is expected to launch in the summer of 2025 and reach 1 billion users, with features including: embedding a search bar and chat interface to provide instant feedback from news summaries to code optimizations; Seamless integration with crypto wallets, Premium services, support for Toncoin payments, blockchain transaction queries and DeFi activities; Provide automated customer service, content generation, and data analytics tools for business customers and developers. The initial onboarding in March 2025 has already sparked buzz among users, and the integration is expected to significantly increase Telegram's active users and revenue potential. Durov stressed that user data will not be used to train Grok, and only "secret chats" remain end-to-end encrypted to ensure privacy protection. The addition of Grok not only enhances the user experience, but also may bring new scenarios such as smart contract optimization and decentralized AI services to TON, attracting more users and developers to participate in the ecosystem, and indirectly promoting the demand and value of Toncoin.
US$1.5 billion bond issuance: capital helps ecological expansion
The rapid development of Telegram requires a lot of financial support. In 2024, Telegram turned a profit, with a profit of $540 million and a revenue of $1.4 billion, and is expected to make a profit of more than $700 million and a revenue of $2 billion in 2025. However, the Web3 layout and the integration of AI functions require higher capital investment. On May 29, sources said that Telegram announced the issuance of $1.5 billion in five-year bonds with an annual interest rate of 9%, supported by BlackRock, Citadel, Mubadala and other giants. Bondholders can convert into shares at a discounted price at the time of Telegram's IPO, although Durov's legal dispute in France could delay the listing plan. The funds will be used to repurchase bonds maturing in 2021 ($400 million has been repurchased) and support ecosystem expansion, such as mini-app development, blockchain infrastructure construction, and AI function integration.
The bond issuance shows investors' strong confidence in Telegram, despite Durov's face French criminal charges for failing to cooperate with an investigation into illegal activities. He has denied the charges and has been released on bail but has not been able to leave France, and his application to go to the United States for negotiations on May 12 was denied, with French prosecutors saying the reasons were "insufficient." Despite this, support from institutions such as BlackRock suggests that the market values Telegram's growth potential more. Telegram's 1 billion monthly active users, 15 million paying users, and its financial performance provide a solid foundation for the bond issuance. The capital injection will enhance the TON blockchain infrastructure, such as node scaling, transaction speed optimization, etc., to support the mini-application ecosystem (such as Hamster Kombat, Notcoin), attract more developers, and increase the use cases of Toncoin. The convertible nature of the bond paves the way for future IPOs, and if Telegram is successfully listed, Toncoin's position as the core token of the ecosystem will be further strengthened.
The Joining of Nikola Plecas: Global Layout of Payment Strategy
On May 28, the TON Foundation announced the appointment of Nikola Plecas, a former executive of Visa's crypto team, as Vice President of Payments, responsible for the design, development, and expansion of the global payments strategy. Plicas leads the global commercialization of the crypto team at Visa, optimizes authorization and fraud rates, defines a European digital currency customer engagement model, and supports multiple global fintech and crypto issuance projects. His addition is seen as a key step in TON's acceleration of payments infrastructure. Max Crown, CEO of the TON Foundation, said, "Payments are at the heart of TON's efforts to bring decentralized services into the mainstream, and Nikola's experience will accelerate global growth. "In the context of the Grok partnership and bond financing, Plecas' appointment completes the strategic puzzle of the TON ecosystem.
Plecas will manage partnerships with financial institutions to ensure compliance and provide a seamless, secure payment experience for TON and Telegram's 1 billion users. He will drive the TON Connect protocol to simplify the authorization of blockchain transactions and provide a smooth payment experience for the mini application ecosystem. For example, users of the gaming app Hamster Kombat can quickly complete payments through Toncoin, increasing user stickiness. Plicas will also develop new payment channels and expand global accessibility of TON-based financial products, such as DeFi protocols and cross-border payment instruments. The TON Foundation's recently launched 5 million TON DeFi reward program aims to increase the liquidity of the USDt-TON trading pair and create synergies with Plecas' strategy. As the only cryptocurrency accepted by Telegram, the expansion of Toncoin's payment scenario will significantly increase demand, potentially driving daily trading volume above $1 billion. Plecas' experience will also attract more financial institutions to collaborate and enhance the compliance and credibility of the ecosystem.
IV. Comprehensive Impact and Future Outlook
Telegram's triple tailwinds – Grok integration, bond issuance, and Plecas' payment strategy – are synergistically driving its transformation to a super-platform where AI and Web3 converge. Grok enhances the user experience and attracts more users to participate in Premium services and blockchain features; Bond financing to fund ecosystem expansion and optimize TON infrastructure; Plecas' payment strategy improves blockchain application scenarios and increases Toncoin use cases. Telegram is expected to become a comprehensive platform that connects AI, blockchain and social networking, with an expected revenue of $2 billion and a profit of $700 million in 2025, Grok subscription revenue sharing could contribute hundreds of millions of dollars, bond funds will accelerate the development of mini-apps and blockchain, and payment channels will drive the widespread adoption of Toncoin. Toncoin broke above the $3.64 resistance and is close to the $4.66 short-term target, and if it holds above $3.37, it could challenge the all-time high of $8.24. Institutions increased their holdings by more than 45 million TON, showing confidence in long-term potential.
These triple positives reflect the trend of convergence of AI and Web3. The use of AI to enhance the experience of social platforms, combined with blockchain to achieve data sovereignty, may trigger other platforms to follow suit, such as WhatsApp or Signal, to launch similar features. However, the challenges cannot be ignored. Durov's criminal charges in France could affect Telegram's reputation and IPO plans, Grok's effectiveness and user acceptance need to be verified, the global expansion of the payment system faces regulatory complexities, and Toncoin's high volatility needs to be warned. Rumors on the X platform that Musk denied that the deal had been signed caused the price to fall back to $3.40 for a short time, although it subsequently rebounded, alerting investors to market risks. Telegram needs to address challenges through transparent communication and robust execution.
Looking ahead, if Grok successfully integrates into Telegram, bond funds effectively support ecological expansion, and Plecas's payment strategy is smoothly implemented, the TON ecosystem will experience explosive growth. Toncoin may become a mainstream asset in the crypto market, challenging a market capitalization of $1 billion. These three favorable factors are not only a turning point for Telegram and TON but could also serve as a benchmark for the integration of AI and Web3, opening a new chapter for the industry.
Conclusion: The Dawn of a New Era
The triple benefits of Telegram have injected unprecedented vitality into the TON ecosystem, and the surge of Toncoin is just the prelude. Grok's AI empowerment, capital support from bond financing, and Plecas' payment strategy together outline a future that connects privacy, AI, and blockchain. This future is quietly unfolding among Telegram's 1 billion users, making it a historic moment not to be missed by users, investors, and industry observers.
The content is for reference only, not a solicitation or offer. No investment, tax, or legal advice provided. See Disclaimer for more risks disclosure.
Grok has settled in, backed by 1.5 billion bonds: Toncoin big pump 29.8%
Written by: Luke, Mars Finance
Recently, Telegram released three blockbuster news in succession, igniting the market's enthusiasm for Telegram's ecological token Toncoin (TON): partnering with Elon Musk's xAI to integrate AI chatbot Grok into the platform; plans to issue US$1.5 billion of five-year bonds, which are backed by BlackRock, Citadel and other giants; and the TON Foundation's appointment of Nikola Plecas, a former executive of Visa's crypto team, as vice president of payments. Driven by this, the price of Toncoin soared by as much as 29.8% in 24 hours to $3.37, and its fully diluted valuation (FDV) exceeded $17.8 billion. These three benefits are independent but echo each other, and together they inject strong impetus into the future of the Telegram and TON ecosystems.
Since its founding in 2013 by Pavel Durov, Telegram has grown to become an instant messaging platform with more than 1 billion users worldwide thanks to its dedication to privacy and efficient communication capabilities. In 2024, Telegram will achieve $1.4 billion in revenue and $540 million in profits, and 15 million users will subscribe to the Premium service, demonstrating strong commercialization capabilities. In recent years, its ambitions have gone beyond messaging apps to launch features such as crypto wallets and decentralized applications (DApps) through deep integration with The Open Network (TON) blockchain, moving towards a grand Web3 blueprint. Artificial intelligence is the next outlet for its ecological upgrading. In March 2025, Telegram tested the waters to access the Grok feature, triggering a slight fluctuation in the price of Toncoin. This comprehensive partnership with xAI is a key step in Telegram's transformation into an "AI-driven super app", which aims to enhance the user experience and strengthen its leading position in Web3 through intelligent features.
xAI is Musk's AI pioneer, dedicated to accelerating human scientific discovery through AI. Its flagship product, Grok, is based on the concept of "maximizing the truth" and "user-friendliness", not only answering everyday questions, but also assisting with complex tasks such as data analysis, code debugging, and more. Grok has accumulated a lot of user feedback on the X platform, showing strong interaction capabilities. The partnership extends Grok's reach to Telegram's 1 billion users, providing xAI with global user data and diverse scenarios. According to the discussion of the X platform, xAI defeated giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic in the bidding, showing the precision of strategic vision. The two parties' concepts on privacy protection and technological innovation are in line with each other, laying the foundation for the integration of AI and Web3.
According to Durov's disclosure on the X platform, Telegram signed a one-year cooperation agreement with xAI, whereby xAI pays $300 million (including cash and equity) and shares 50% of the revenue from Grok subscriptions sold through Telegram. Grok is expected to launch in the summer of 2025 and reach 1 billion users, with features including: embedding a search bar and chat interface to provide instant feedback from news summaries to code optimizations; Seamless integration with crypto wallets, Premium services, support for Toncoin payments, blockchain transaction queries and DeFi activities; Provide automated customer service, content generation, and data analytics tools for business customers and developers. The initial onboarding in March 2025 has already sparked buzz among users, and the integration is expected to significantly increase Telegram's active users and revenue potential. Durov stressed that user data will not be used to train Grok, and only "secret chats" remain end-to-end encrypted to ensure privacy protection. The addition of Grok not only enhances the user experience, but also may bring new scenarios such as smart contract optimization and decentralized AI services to TON, attracting more users and developers to participate in the ecosystem, and indirectly promoting the demand and value of Toncoin.
The rapid development of Telegram requires a lot of financial support. In 2024, Telegram turned a profit, with a profit of $540 million and a revenue of $1.4 billion, and is expected to make a profit of more than $700 million and a revenue of $2 billion in 2025. However, the Web3 layout and the integration of AI functions require higher capital investment. On May 29, sources said that Telegram announced the issuance of $1.5 billion in five-year bonds with an annual interest rate of 9%, supported by BlackRock, Citadel, Mubadala and other giants. Bondholders can convert into shares at a discounted price at the time of Telegram's IPO, although Durov's legal dispute in France could delay the listing plan. The funds will be used to repurchase bonds maturing in 2021 ($400 million has been repurchased) and support ecosystem expansion, such as mini-app development, blockchain infrastructure construction, and AI function integration.
The bond issuance shows investors' strong confidence in Telegram, despite Durov's face French criminal charges for failing to cooperate with an investigation into illegal activities. He has denied the charges and has been released on bail but has not been able to leave France, and his application to go to the United States for negotiations on May 12 was denied, with French prosecutors saying the reasons were "insufficient." Despite this, support from institutions such as BlackRock suggests that the market values Telegram's growth potential more. Telegram's 1 billion monthly active users, 15 million paying users, and its financial performance provide a solid foundation for the bond issuance. The capital injection will enhance the TON blockchain infrastructure, such as node scaling, transaction speed optimization, etc., to support the mini-application ecosystem (such as Hamster Kombat, Notcoin), attract more developers, and increase the use cases of Toncoin. The convertible nature of the bond paves the way for future IPOs, and if Telegram is successfully listed, Toncoin's position as the core token of the ecosystem will be further strengthened.
On May 28, the TON Foundation announced the appointment of Nikola Plecas, a former executive of Visa's crypto team, as Vice President of Payments, responsible for the design, development, and expansion of the global payments strategy. Plicas leads the global commercialization of the crypto team at Visa, optimizes authorization and fraud rates, defines a European digital currency customer engagement model, and supports multiple global fintech and crypto issuance projects. His addition is seen as a key step in TON's acceleration of payments infrastructure. Max Crown, CEO of the TON Foundation, said, "Payments are at the heart of TON's efforts to bring decentralized services into the mainstream, and Nikola's experience will accelerate global growth. "In the context of the Grok partnership and bond financing, Plecas' appointment completes the strategic puzzle of the TON ecosystem.
Plecas will manage partnerships with financial institutions to ensure compliance and provide a seamless, secure payment experience for TON and Telegram's 1 billion users. He will drive the TON Connect protocol to simplify the authorization of blockchain transactions and provide a smooth payment experience for the mini application ecosystem. For example, users of the gaming app Hamster Kombat can quickly complete payments through Toncoin, increasing user stickiness. Plicas will also develop new payment channels and expand global accessibility of TON-based financial products, such as DeFi protocols and cross-border payment instruments. The TON Foundation's recently launched 5 million TON DeFi reward program aims to increase the liquidity of the USDt-TON trading pair and create synergies with Plecas' strategy. As the only cryptocurrency accepted by Telegram, the expansion of Toncoin's payment scenario will significantly increase demand, potentially driving daily trading volume above $1 billion. Plecas' experience will also attract more financial institutions to collaborate and enhance the compliance and credibility of the ecosystem.
IV. Comprehensive Impact and Future Outlook
Telegram's triple tailwinds – Grok integration, bond issuance, and Plecas' payment strategy – are synergistically driving its transformation to a super-platform where AI and Web3 converge. Grok enhances the user experience and attracts more users to participate in Premium services and blockchain features; Bond financing to fund ecosystem expansion and optimize TON infrastructure; Plecas' payment strategy improves blockchain application scenarios and increases Toncoin use cases. Telegram is expected to become a comprehensive platform that connects AI, blockchain and social networking, with an expected revenue of $2 billion and a profit of $700 million in 2025, Grok subscription revenue sharing could contribute hundreds of millions of dollars, bond funds will accelerate the development of mini-apps and blockchain, and payment channels will drive the widespread adoption of Toncoin. Toncoin broke above the $3.64 resistance and is close to the $4.66 short-term target, and if it holds above $3.37, it could challenge the all-time high of $8.24. Institutions increased their holdings by more than 45 million TON, showing confidence in long-term potential.
These triple positives reflect the trend of convergence of AI and Web3. The use of AI to enhance the experience of social platforms, combined with blockchain to achieve data sovereignty, may trigger other platforms to follow suit, such as WhatsApp or Signal, to launch similar features. However, the challenges cannot be ignored. Durov's criminal charges in France could affect Telegram's reputation and IPO plans, Grok's effectiveness and user acceptance need to be verified, the global expansion of the payment system faces regulatory complexities, and Toncoin's high volatility needs to be warned. Rumors on the X platform that Musk denied that the deal had been signed caused the price to fall back to $3.40 for a short time, although it subsequently rebounded, alerting investors to market risks. Telegram needs to address challenges through transparent communication and robust execution.
Looking ahead, if Grok successfully integrates into Telegram, bond funds effectively support ecological expansion, and Plecas's payment strategy is smoothly implemented, the TON ecosystem will experience explosive growth. Toncoin may become a mainstream asset in the crypto market, challenging a market capitalization of $1 billion. These three favorable factors are not only a turning point for Telegram and TON but could also serve as a benchmark for the integration of AI and Web3, opening a new chapter for the industry.
Conclusion: The Dawn of a New Era
The triple benefits of Telegram have injected unprecedented vitality into the TON ecosystem, and the surge of Toncoin is just the prelude. Grok's AI empowerment, capital support from bond financing, and Plecas' payment strategy together outline a future that connects privacy, AI, and blockchain. This future is quietly unfolding among Telegram's 1 billion users, making it a historic moment not to be missed by users, investors, and industry observers.