OKX Wallet Supports Telegram's TON, Marking the 100th Protocol

OKX's CMO Haider Rafique said TON had been a break-out hit with a strong community behind it.

Cryptocurrency exchange OKX announced today that OKX Wallet now supports Telegram's TON network.

OKX’s CMO explains why they chose to add support for specific networks like TON.

OKX has added support for the Toncoin (TON) network, which is associated with the Telegram messaging app, to OKX Wallet. This marks the 100th protocol to be integrated into the wallet as it builds on its “on-chain, any chain” philosophy.

The wallet, a standalone Web3 product that operates separately from the centralized exchange (CEX), also integrates into OKX's decentralized exchange (DEX).

While OKX tries to provide access to a wide variety of tokens and protocols for its wallet, it also wants to provide a curated experience and not every token meets its standards, Chief Marketing Officer Haider Rafique said in an interview.

“Our listing process typically revolves around a couple of things. First, we want to see some terminal velocity before considering a listing,” said Rafique. “We aim for the right timing when there's already a built-up community and significant demand. If we launch something without sufficient demand, it doesn't fit well with our role.”

OKX’s listing strategy for OKX Wallet

When asked about the specific reasons for choosing to integrate the TON network, the CMO explained that market data from CoinMarketCap shows that TON has been a breakout hit on OKX. It is the sixth most-traded coin on the centralized exchange, just behind the BTC-USDT trading pair and the SOL-USDT pair.

According to Rafique, trading for TON tends to increase whenever new gamification features are introduced. He observed that these features drive user interest and engagement.

“The utility most people are excited about is the ease of participating in-network incentives and programs. This gamification aspect is the most popular, based on various signals we track,” he said. “Of course, there are speculators who just want to hold the token, hoping it appreciates because it's backed by Telegram.”

As CoinDesk has reported, this growing TON-based economy, using Telegram as a hub, has driven the token's recent outperformance of the broader crypto market.

Before supporting TON, OKX Wallet expanded its capabilities by adding support for the NEAR, Blast, and zkLink Nova chains, according to a release.

OKX Wallet also recently integrated Uniswap Labs' trading APIs and launched a platform for Web3 game developers.