Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced on May 4 that network fees on The Open Network (TON) would be slashed by a factor of six, bringing costs down to nearly zero. The move sent Toncoin rocketing roughly 36–37% within 24 hours, with prices touching $1.88–$1.90 on May 5.
Why the fees were cut
Durov’s announcement came alongside details of a new roadmap called MTONGA, under which Telegram will take over as TON's largest validator, replacing the TON Foundation. The messaging giant plans to stake about 2.2 million TON to assume that role. By cutting fees so dramatically, Telegram is aiming to make microtransactions practical for its 900 million-plus users — a key piece of its push to integrate crypto payments into everyday messaging.
Market reaction
The fee cut triggered an immediate price spike, but the broader TON ecosystem remains a fraction of its former self. Total value locked on the network stood at roughly $69–71 million in early May, down from highs near $800 million in 2024. Daily decentralized exchange volume hovered around $4.5 million, and chain fees — even before the cut — were just $2,800 over a 24-hour period. On-chain liquidity is thin compared with the peaks of two years ago.
What the fee cut means for users
With fees now near zero, sending TON or interacting with apps on the network becomes trivial for small amounts. That fits Telegram’s broader strategy: the company has been layering in wallet features, mini-apps, and in-app payments, all of which rely on cheap transactions. The question is whether a near-zero fee structure alone can revive on-chain activity when liquidity remains shallow and TVL hasn’t recovered.
Telegram’s ascension as the top validator also centralizes control — it already runs the messaging platform that hosts most TON activity. The MTONGA roadmap suggests the company sees itself as the anchor of the network going forward.
The next few weeks will show whether the fee cut brings back users or if deeper liquidity issues keep activity muted. Durov has not given a timeline for completing the validator transition.
