TON Space Allows Telegram Stars for Gas Fees, Boosting Blockchain Accessibility
2min read TON Space, a self-custodial wallet integrated within Telegram’s Wallet feature, has introduced a new feature allowing users to pay gas fees using Telegram Stars. This development marks a significant step in making blockchain interactions more accessible within the Telegram ecosystem. The Open Platform, a venture builder and vc for early-stage projects on the TON Blockchain, revealed this update. Previously, users needed to hold TON tokens to cover transaction fees, but now they can leverage their Telegram Stars for this purpose.
TON Space enables users to store, send, and manage digital assets on the TON blockchain, providing full control over their funds without relying on third parties. The introduction of Telegram Stars for gas fees in TON Space aims to make the blockchain experience more seamless and user-friendly for Telegram’s extensive global audience. This update addresses one of the major barriers for new users—acquiring and managing blockchain tokens to cover transaction costs.
Users can now use Stars to pay blockchain fees for sending or swapping tokens. On the withdrawal and swap pages, there is an option to pay the blockchain fee with Stars. If users do not have enough Stars in their TON Space balance, they can purchase them directly from within their non-custodial wallet. The cost in Stars depends on the current exchange rate in Toncoin (TON), which can affect the network fee paid with Stars due to the volatility of Toncoin.
Given Telegram’s influence and the rapid adoption of TON, this shift could pave the way for broader blockchain usage within mainstream social applications. Telegram boasts over 950 million users, and more than 100 million TON Space wallets have been created since exiting beta in December 2024. This change is expected to lower barriers to entry for millions looking to engage with blockchain technology, potentially increasing adoption exponentially.
“TON has already become an integral part of the Telegram ecosystem. By embedding Telegram Stars to pay for blockchain transactions in TON Space, we are bringing crypto even closer to the messenger’s community. Since Stars is native for Telegram, using it to pay for blockchain fees will encourage greater adoption of TON Blockchain while enabling seamless and easy transactions,” said The Open Platform CEO Andrew Rogozov.
A similar feature has already been implemented in Tonkeeper, another self-custodial wallet for TON. The Tonkeeper app introduced the “Battery” feature, which allows users to prepay transaction fees. This move further integrates blockchain technology within the Telegram ecosystem, making it more accessible and user-friendly.
This development comes amid rapid advancements within the TON ecosystem. Recent events, including the release of Telegram founder Pavel Durov by French authorities, have injected fresh momentum into TON, potentially boosting its growth. The expansion of TON’s gaming ecosystem, with the launch of Hamster Kombat’s gaming-focused Layer-2 blockchain on TON, signals a push towards greater scalability and increased gaming adoption on the network. These developments position TON as a major player in blockchain gaming and decentralized applications (dApps), bringing these innovations to a mainstream audience.
