Author | jk, Odaily
Where is the future of blockchain's mass adoption? TON+Telegram provides the most realistic answer.
Odaily recently conducted an exclusive interview with Max Crown, the new CEO of the TON Foundation. As a seasoned veteran spanning financial technology and regulatory fields, this CEO, who just took office in April, opened up not only to share TON's core blueprint for challenging Web3 mass applications but also to deeply analyze its integration strategy and future landscape with the Telegram super ecosystem for the first time.
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 TON is its ability to truly bring the next billion users into the crypto world - not just talking about it, but actually doing it. Having worked in fintech and regulation for many years, I increasingly realized that many blockchain platforms are technically impressive but just not suitable for ordinary people. TON is different; combined with Telegram, it means we can massively integrate blockchain technology into people's daily lives. This is truly disruptive - leading such a transformation and solving practical problems is what excites me most.
Odaily: What is TON's long-term vision under your leadership?
Max Crown: My idea is actually quite simple: let everyone use blockchain daily without even knowing they're using it. Whether transferring money, using digital services, or playing games, it should feel natural. Our ultimate goal is to make TON the underlying infrastructure for next-generation internet applications - secure, decentralized, and accessible to everyone.
Odaily: What do you think is the most difficult challenge for the foundation after your joining?
Max Crown: The biggest challenge is probably how to coordinate two sides: the decentralized open-source developer community on one side, and the more centralized, faster-paced Telegram platform on the other. But this conflict actually brings opportunities - pushing us to improve coordination methods, make tools like TON Connect more user-friendly, and create smoother experiences 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 get a chance to work on infrastructure naturally integrated with a billion-user application. Telegram gives TON the ability to instantly reach users, completely changing the game. I'm particularly excited that blockchain applications have become so smooth - from Mini Apps to Toncoin payments - making it much easier to bring ordinary users who don't understand cryptocurrency 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, buy digital assets, or access decentralized services. All of this happens within Telegram. You can book services, tip creators, trade assets, play games, and transfer funds within a single chat thread. That's the vision, and I think we're closer to this reality than people realize.
Odaily: What are some of the most important upcoming milestones?
Max Crown: Key focus areas include expanding the Mini Apps ecosystem, increasing developer incentives, improving TON Connect's user experience, and launching new work chains to enhance scalability. Of course, we're preparing for significant advancements in the United States.
3. Strategic Positioning and Growth
Odaily: Standing in June 2025, how would you answer: "What makes TON different from other Layer 1 blockchains?"
Max Crown: TON is not just competing to be the best blockchain for crypto-native users; we're building it to serve everyday users globally. This is a fundamentally different approach. Most blockchains focus on capturing existing Web3 audiences. We focus on creating new audiences by directly embedding blockchain into Telegram, which is used by over a billion people. This is more than just scale - it's a combination of distribution, onboarding, and user experience.
Odaily: What are the foundation's current main strategic focuses?
Max Crown: Three things: scaling, simplifying, and supporting. We're expanding infrastructure to match our growth, simplifying onboarding through TON Connect and Telegram wallet, and extending developer support through funding, documentation, and ecosystem projects. We want to make it easier for people to build and for users to adopt.
Odaily: Are there plans to retain the wave of users brought by Mini-apps last year?
Max Crown: Momentum comes from results. We've grown from 4 million 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 an innovative pace - not just technically, but in user experience as well.
4. Telegram Mini-App Ecosystem
Odaily: What did you learn from the Telegram mini-app wave?
Max Crown: The biggest insight is that distribution channels are more important than complex features. Mini Apps showed us that when developers can directly reach massive users - and users can get started without complicated operations - the spread can be very fast. This is why many TON-based applications develop faster than traditional Web3 applications.
Odaily: How will Toncoin's deep integration with Telegram drive adoption?
Max Crown: The impact will be significant. When users can easily earn and spend Toncoin like other digital currencies - and do so in an app they already trust - all barriers disappear. Whether tipping creators or paying for services, Toncoin will become part of daily interactions, not an isolated financial tool.
5. Regulation and Compliance
Odaily: How do you handle regulation and compliance globally?
Max Crown: My approach from MoonPay still applies - don't wait for regulation to catch up, be proactive. This means maintaining transparency, supporting compliance tools, and keeping open communication with regulatory bodies. Especially in the United States, where the new government's attitude towards cryptocurrency is more friendly, we're preparing to cooperate with any potential frameworks.
6. Community and Culture
Odaily: Do you have anything to say to developers and speculators?
Max Crown: To developers: keep building. You are the core force of this ecosystem. We will support you through better tools, more comprehensive documentation, and broader distribution channels through Telegram. To crypto traders: continue having fun. But remember - we're creating something meant to exist long-term.
Odaily: Is there anything you want to discuss that we haven't covered today?
Max Crown: I think people often overlook that we're not just building a blockchain. We're constructing infrastructure for the internet's next phase - a decentralized stage where users truly own things and everyone can participate. And our approach doesn't require anyone to change their current app usage habits. No need to learn new things, adapt, or perform complex operations. We're creating truly usable cryptocurrency. That's the charm of TON.
