Telegram Introduces In-App Browser to Support Decentralized Websites Hosted on TON

Messaging app Telegram has introduced its new in-app browser in a blog announcement on July 31, adding to the mini-app store announced earlier in July by CEO Pavel Durov.

Messaging giant Telegram has announced the launch of an in-app browser that will support decentralized websites hosted on The Open Network (TON).

The browser, announced in a blog post on July 31, will allow users to access TON Sites, a platform for creating decentralized websites that was introduced in 2023. Users can set up a web server that makes these sites accessible on the TON blockchain.

Initially, TON sites were accessible via specific entry points called TON Proxies, but the integration of the in-app browser will make it easier for users to navigate these sites. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov highlighted the significance of the browser, stating that it will open “the world of blockchain-based web to almost a billion users.”

In related news, Telegram's mini app store is now live and can be accessed via the search section of the Telegram app.

According to the announcement, 500 million of Telegram’s 950 million users interact with mini-apps every month. With the launch of the mini app store, all of their mini-apps will be available in one place.

Additionally, the so-called “Stars,” a unit of payment within the mini-app ecosystem, can now be sent to friends. The in-app token, introduced on June 7, allows mini-apps to accept payments, with the tokens able to be swapped for TON (TON), the TON network’s native token.

Telegram mini-apps have seen massive success, with applications like Notcoin (NOT) and Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) attracting millions of players globally. Hamster Kombat, in particular, has become one of the fastest-growing Web3 applications, having drawn over 300 million users since launching in March 2024.

The project is now preparing to launch what it claims will be the “largest airdrop in the history of crypto” for its HMSTR token, which is set to debut on TON.

Catizen, another mini app that was launched on Telegram in March alongside Hamster Kombat, has also attracted over 500,000 paying users and led to investment in Pluto Studio — the app’s publisher — from Hong Kong-based crypto venture firm HashKey Capital.