Web3 Platform Ankr Integrates With TON Blockchain, Allowing Developers to Build DApps for Telegram's 950M Users

The integration into Ankr's Web3 API services will eliminate nodes set up on TON, removing hours of development on building, calibrating and fixing issues.

Web3 infrastructure platform Ankr has integrated with The Open Network (TON) blockchain, enabling developers to build decentralized applications (DApps) for Telegram users.

As announced on Oct. 24, the integration into Ankr’s Web3 API services will remove the need for developers to set up nodes on TON, saving hours of development spent on building, calibrating and troubleshooting.

Telegram boasts an audience of approximately 950 million users. Some popular DApps built on TON include Telegram Mini Apps, such as Hamster Kombat — a tap-to-earn game that has amassed over 300 million players within a few months.

These Mini Apps utilize TON’s blockchain infrastructure and are designed to operate seamlessly within the Telegram application.

Ankr will provide remote procedure calls (RPCs) connections through the integration, allowing developers to directly interface with the TON network for tasks such as executing transactions, fetching wallet balances, and retrieving ownership information. The TON RPC endpoints, deployed via Asphere, will be part of a geo-distributed network of blockchain nodes operating globally to ensure low latency.

“Considering how vital the messaging app is to our industry, we will be very excited to see innovative new functionality come to life with barriers to building now removed,” said Chandler Song, co-founder and CEO of Ankr.

The TON blockchain also provides its own RPC services for developers to directly interact with the network for building DApps on Telegram. However, Ankr claims that its integration into the network will remove the complexities of node management.

The Open Network Foundation, the organization behind the TON blockchain, recently selected Axelar’s Mobius Development Stack (MDS) to connect its ecosystem with 68 networks. The stack enables developers to build DApps across multiple blockchains, eliminating the need for bridging solutions through an interoperability layer.

In September, the TON blockchain received a strategic investment of $30 million from crypto exchange Bitget and Foresight Ventures. The funding will be used to accelerate the development of TON-based applications, especially games like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin.