Telegram’s 1B Users Attract Millions in Funding for DeFi Protocols

• With over one billion users and TON integration, Telegram is becoming a key distribution platform for DeFi.
• Recent funding highlights rising institutional confidence in Telegram and TON as DeFi gateways.
• Projects like Affluent and Torch are launching natively on Telegram, offering DeFi services via bots and mini-apps.

Telegram, the messaging app with over a billion active users, is rapidly transforming into a central hub for decentralized finance (DeFi).

An increasing number of protocols are now being built on the TON (Telegram Open Network) blockchain to bring DeFi services, such as borrowing, staking, and yield generation, directly to Telegram’s user base.

These efforts are helping realize the broader vision of making Telegram a crypto-enabled “super app.”

TAC Raises $11.5 Million To Bring DeFi To Telegram

The latest evidence of this shift is the announcement of a $5 million strategic funding round for TAC, a blockchain designed to bridge Ethereum-based decentralized applications (dApps) with Telegram’s ecosystem.

Led by Hack VC, TAC’s $5 million raise “underscores growing institutional confidence in Telegram’s potential to serve as a gateway for DeFi adoption,” according to the company’s announcement .

TAC, a blockchain infrastructure enabling EVM-compatible dApps to access the TON and Telegram ecosystem, has now raised a total of $11.5 million across its seed and strategic funding rounds.

“At Hack VC, we invest in teams building the future of the internet,” said Ed Roman, Managing Partner at Hack VC.

“Leading this strategic round reflects our conviction in TAC’s ability to shape how Ethereum dApps reach global users through Telegram and TON,” he added.

TAC says it is currently preparing for a phased mainnet launch and already has more than 20 applications lined up for integration.

Telegram’s Growth and Role in Web3

Telegram’s influence in the Web3 space is closely linked to TON, the blockchain it initially developed before regulatory pressure led to its separation from the project.

Since then, TON has been revived by a team of independent developers and re-integrated into Telegram. The blockchain now supports features such as TON-based mini-apps, crypto wallets, and payment solutions.

Unlike Discord or X, platforms that are widely used by crypto communities but limited in their integration capabilities, Telegram offers a crypto-friendly API, bot support, and native integration with NFTs and wallets.

This has made it a uniquely attractive platform for developers looking to deliver Web3 functionality to a mainstream audience.

DeFi Projects Bet Big on Telegram

As Telegram strengthens its role as the go-to platform for crypto communities, DeFi teams are increasingly building directly within the app to meet users where they already are.

On June 16, a new money market protocol called Affluent launched natively on Telegram, offering crypto trading and wealth-building tools inside the messaging interface.

Co-founded by Justin Hyun, former Director of the TON Foundation, the platform plans to provide lending pools and yield-generating products directly via Telegram chats.

“Our goal is to transform complex DeFi services into a simple and intuitive experience where users of all backgrounds and knowledge levels can easily invest and grow their wealth,” said Affluent co-founder and co-CEO Justin Hyun.

The application includes a Strategy Vault and Vault Manager system, which automates asset allocation and yield strategies.

“By depositing assets into a vault, users let Affluent manage their assets via a combination of automated smart contracts and expert management,” the company said.

Meanwhile, Torch Finance has launched a “simplified DeFi solution” built directly into Telegram. The platform promises to let users trade crypto as easily as sending a message.

Leveraging Telegram’s bot system, users can swap stablecoins and stake assets “in just a few taps,” Torch said.

In November 2024, TON-based Layer solution DuckChain launched with the mission to “onboard nearly a billion Telegram users to blockchain infrastructure,” and turn Telegram into a “super app.”

DuckChain aimed to make blockchain accessible by creating a unified gas system through an “Initial Star Offering” (ISO).

“With ISO, Telegram Stars can easily be turned into on-chain assets to pay gas fees,” DuckChain said in its announcement.