Web3 Utility on Telegram Will Drive Adoption, TON Foundation’s Martin Masser

Key Takeaways

• Telegram has nearly 1 billion users, though roughly 10% of its users have activated its native crypto wallet.
• Play-to-earn was the biggest draw for new crypto users, but play-to-win could soon replace this trend.
• Telegram Gift NFTs comprise a market cap of $134 million.

Telegram, with its billion users, is quickly transforming from a messaging app into a full-blown Web3 ecosystem.

Thanks to The Open Network (TON), users in 2025 now have access to crypto wallets, blockchain-based apps, and play-to-earn games — all without leaving the app.

To get a closer look at TON’s rapid expansion, CCN caught up with Head of Growth Martin Masser to discuss the project’s momentum, roadblocks, and what’s coming next.

TON Foundation

Martin Masser’s entry into crypto is as typical as any other. He explains, “I’m a big Sheffield Wednesday fan,” an English football club, “and I heard this ‘celebrity’ Max Keiser supported us.”

He was hoping to hear Keiser discuss the club on his TV show in 2012. Instead, Keiser spoke, likely at great length , about Bitcoin. “I’ve been hooked ever since,” he explains.

Now, to find himself in an influential, important position at Telegram’s powerhouse Web3 network, he admits to a state of disbelief.

“I’m loving every second of it. I’m that person in a group of friends that’s known as the “crypto guy”. I want to say sorry to all of my friends, by the way… but I’m the type of person that brings every conversation back to crypto.”

Masser was appointed as TON’s Head of Growth in May 2025 after working with the biggest decentralized exchange (DEX) on TON, STON.fi. So, “transitioning to TON felt like the next natural step.”

“TON and Telegram are one of the most unique combinations in crypto. Almost everyone in the space uses Telegram; it’s probably one of the top three apps for anyone working in the industry. And yet, millions of Telegram users still haven’t touched crypto or discovered TON,” Masser notes.

Masser says that TON is Telegram’s blockchain of choice, and now he gets to go on stage and talk about “what crypto can be.”

As Head of Growth, he sees himself as a “concierge” who connects people, guides projects, and gives the ecosystem whatever it needs to thrive.

Web3 Gaming

One of the biggest drivers behind Telegram’s growing Web3 footprint is its rapidly expanding ecosystem of mini apps and casual mobile games—many of which have served as a gateway to the TON wallet and crypto adoption.

Play-to-earn titles like Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, and Catizen have led the charge.  These viral hits—though controversial—have undeniably succeeded in onboarding millions of users at lightning speed.

However, while the growth has been explosive, the model itself is starting to show signs of fatigue. It’s time to move forward, says Masser.

Play-to-earn proved that TON can scale fast, but simply cloning old formats—like Bombie’s follow-up, Capybobo—won’t lead to long-term success. Masser asserts that the next phase needs more than token rewards.

“The biggest issue? Game makers feel they need to pay users to play,” Masser explained. “The best games won’t need that. They’ll monetize through microtransactions: extra turns, levels, skins, and in-game NFTs.”

Enter Play-to-Win, a model in which players stake assets, such as crypto or digital collectibles, and winners take the prize.

It flips the script by rewarding skill and competition rather than passive farming. “It rewards real players, not just opportunists,” Masser adds.

What’s giving these games real momentum, though, is Telegram’s built-in social layer. Group chats, referral…