TAC Raises $11.5 Million to Integrate Ethereum dApps with Telegram

TAC, a blockchain infrastructure designed to support Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) decentralized applications (dApps) within the TON and Telegram ecosystems, has successfully raised $11.5 million through its seed and strategic investment rounds. This funding is a significant milestone for TAC, as it aims to integrate blockchain technology with Telegram's vast user base, which is recognized for its substantial presence in the digital asset space.

The strategic round, which amounted to $5 million, was led by Hack VC. This investment underscores the growing institutional confidence in TAC's mission to advance blockchain integration within Telegram. Ed Roman, Managing Partner at Hack VC, emphasized the potential of TAC, stating, "At Hack VC, we invest in teams building the future of the internet. TAC is an exceptional team with a deep understanding of infrastructure and growth backed by years of experience building in the space. Leading this strategic round reflects our conviction in TAC’s ability to shape how Ethereum dApps reach global users through Telegram and TON."

Pavel Altukhov, Co-Founder and CEO of TAC, highlighted the importance of this funding, stating that it will be used to enhance developer tooling and onboard leading EVM dApps on TON and Telegram. Altukhov emphasized that the strategic backing from lead investors is crucial in bringing blue-chip projects to Telegram’s global user base. "TAC is committed to giving EVM developers the tools and reach to deploy their applications into Telegram’s billion-user ecosystem," said Altukhov. "This strategic round accelerates our mission to bring Ethereum applications to everyday users and lays the groundwork for the next wave of TON-native consumer apps."

TAC is currently progressing through a phased rollout towards the launch of its mainnet. During the DevMainnet stage, prominent DeFi projects such as Curve, Morpho, and Euler have begun deployment, with more than 20 top-tier applications preparing for full Mainnet integration. This initial activity is expected to provide the ecosystem with substantial liquidity, established DeFi foundations, and immediate functionality within Telegram once the public launch occurs. Michael Egorov, Founder of Curve, noted, "Going live on Telegram and TON via TAC can allow Curve to reach the new audience who aren’t yet on DeFi. TAC chose a great approach of bringing battle-tested EVM applications there. We are happy to be one of the first to deploy and bring Curve to these new users."

The pre-mainnet liquidity bootstrapping initiative, called The Summoning, has attracted notable participation from major funds, liquidity providers, and infrastructure stakeholders in the industry. With over $700 million in total value locked prior to the public Mainnet release, this level of institutional support demonstrates strong confidence in TAC’s position as a DeFi layer on TON. This liquidity will be essential in powering key DeFi services from the outset, facilitating real yield generation and effective market operations at launch.

Curve, Morpho, and Euler have developed dedicated Telegram Mini Apps (TMAs), enabling native access to their products within Telegram. Simultaneously, widely used consumer TMAs are starting to incorporate DeFi features on their backend, providing yield generation and financial services to users who may not be familiar with cryptocurrencies. TAC views this integration within the Telegram superapp as a key driver toward achieving widespread adoption.

The successful fundraising and strategic partnerships position TAC as a significant player in the DeFi space, leveraging Telegram's extensive user base to drive adoption and innovation. As TAC continues to advance towards its mainnet launch, the integration of leading DeFi projects and the development of dedicated TMAs will be crucial in establishing a robust and functional DeFi ecosystem within Telegram.