What is TON (The Open Network) and Toncoin?

TON explained: a layer-1 blockchain originally designed by Telegram, Toncoin, jettons, NFTs, wallets, TON Connect, its role in Telegram (Fragment, Stars, ads) and how projects grow on it with Adsun.

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Glowing blue blockchain cubes linked by orange chains around a crystal coin — what is TON blockchain

Content owner: Adsun Editorial & Ad Operations Team · Last verified: 2026-10-18

Quick answer

TON (The Open Network) is a layer-1 blockchain originally designed by Telegram’s founders and now developed by an independent community. Its coin, Toncoin (TON), pays network fees and is used across Telegram: buying usernames and numbers on Fragment, funding official Telegram Ads, withdrawing Telegram Stars and channel revenue. Developers build jettons (tokens), NFTs and Mini Apps connected through TON Connect. TON projects grow fastest by reaching Telegram users directly — for example with Adsun campaigns in Mini Apps, bots and channels.

Key takeaways

TON is a fast layer-1 blockchain with deep Telegram integration.
Toncoin (TON) pays fees and funds many Telegram features.
Jettons are TON tokens; TON Connect links wallets to Mini Apps.
Adsun helps TON projects reach Telegram users.

Key facts

Originally designed by Telegram; Telegram’s own project stopped in 2020 and the community continued it as The Open Network.
Coin: Toncoin (TON); early name ‘Gram’.
Supports smart contracts, jettons and NFTs.
Wallets: Tonkeeper, MyTonWallet, Wallet in Telegram and others.

TON inside Telegram

Fragment marketplace for usernames and numbers.
Official Telegram Ads funding.
Stars and channel revenue withdrawals.
Mini Apps with TON Connect.

Building on TON

Many TON projects are Mini Apps and games. Create a free publisher account at adsun.io, add your Mini App or bot, create Reward, Interstitial or Task blocks, paste the SDK or bot snippet and watch earnings per block and country. Payouts are in USDT.

Create a free advertiser account at adsun.io, top up in USDT, choose Network or Native Ads, target countries and languages, bid on CPM or CPC and launch after review. Current minimums are on the pricing page.

Metric definitions and formulas

CPM: Cost per mille: what an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions.CPM = (Ad spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000
CPC: Cost per click: average price an advertiser pays for one click.CPC = Ad spend ÷ Clicks
CTR: Click-through rate: the share of impressions that produced a click.CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100%
eCPM: Effective CPM: what a publisher earns per 1,000 impressions, whatever the pricing model.eCPM = (Publisher earnings ÷ Impressions) × 1,000
Fill rate: The share of ad requests that returned an ad.Fill rate = (Filled ad requests ÷ Total ad requests) × 100%

More terms in the glossary and the advertising metrics guide.

Worked example

Hypothetical example — not real Telegram or Adsun data

A new Mini App reaches 5,000 daily active users. Each user sees 3 rewarded ads a day = 15,000 impressions. At a $1.20 eCPM: 15,000 ÷ 1,000 × $1.20 = $18 per day, about $540 a month. The owner spends $100 on an Adsun CPC campaign at $0.05 per click = 2,000 clicks; 40% open the app = 800 new users, cost per user = $0.125. Replace every figure with your own data.

Adsun measurement methodology

Adsun counts an impression when an ad is rendered in a publisher block, a click when the user opens the ad destination, and a reward only after the server-to-server Reward URL confirms completion. Debug-mode traffic is excluded from billing and reports. Metrics are shown per platform, block and country in the partner and advertiser dashboards. Adsun does not publish aggregate network benchmarks in this guide; any number below marked “Hypothetical” is illustrative only. See the SDK documentation for integration details.

About Adsun

Adsun is a Telegram advertising network operated by Adsun. Products: Rewarded ads, Interstitial ads, Task ads, Native ads. Platforms: Telegram Mini Apps, Telegram bots, Telegram channels. Learn more about Adsun.

Start earning or growing with Adsun

Publishers earn USDT from Mini Apps, bots and channels. Advertisers reach Telegram users with CPM or CPC campaigns.

Become a publisher — sign up free Start advertising

Frequently asked questions

Is TON owned by Telegram?

No. Telegram designed it originally, but TON is now developed by an independent community; Telegram uses TON for several features.

What is Toncoin used for?

Network fees, payments, Fragment purchases, Telegram Ads funding and DeFi on TON.

Can I advertise a TON project on Telegram?

Yes — Adsun lets you promote TON projects in Mini Apps, bots and channels with USDT payments.

Sources

Update log

2026-10-21: First published. Telegram and TON features are described generally; check telegram.org and docs.ton.org for current rules.

Create a TON (jetton) tokenCreate your own coin on The Open Network: what jettons are, wallet and TON for fees, minting with a jetton minter, metadata, supply, admin rights, liquidity, listing and promoting your token on Telegram with Adsun.Buy TON coinBuy Toncoin safely: Wallet in Telegram, Tonkeeper and other wallets, centralised exchanges, P2P markets and card purchases — plus security tips and what to use TON for, including Telegram Ads.What are Telegram Stars?Telegram Stars explained: Telegram’s in-app currency for digital goods, how users buy them, how creators, bots and Mini Apps earn them, withdrawal to TON via Fragment and how Stars compare with ad revenue.Advertise a crypto project on TelegramPromote a crypto, DeFi, NFT or Web3 project on Telegram: channel sponsorships, Mini App and bot ads, task ads for community growth, KOLs, compliance and measurement — with Adsun.