Messaging platform Telegram is making things official with TON ($1.49)—again.

On Tuesday, Telegram and The Open Network Foundation announced an exclusivity deal that will require Telegram mini apps (including games) with crypto integrations to use TON, with Telegram also providing various benefits to projects that utilize the network.

“The integration of TON as the exclusive blockchain for Telegram mini apps is a strategic step forward, strengthening TON's status as one of the world's leading blockchains,” TON Foundation President Manual Stotz told Decrypt.

“Telegram is one of the biggest messaging apps in the world, with a global network of over 950 million active users,” he continued, “which means that this agreement represents an unparalleled opportunity for TON to be at the heart of blockchain innovation on a truly global scale.”

Telegram is the original creator of TON, which was originally known as the Telegram Open Network, but dumped the project in 2020 due to regulatory scrutiny. Development continued externally via a community of builders, who eventually launched TON as The Open Network.

Over the last year and a half, Telegram and TON have increasingly become intertwined again. A TON Wallet app launched on Telegram, helping to fuel a wave of tap-to-earn crypto games that collectiv...