Ah, Telegram and its TON cryptocurrency-a billion users and still not quite the world-beater we were promised. Much like my attempts at gardening, it’s all promise and no payoff. But hey, at least my tomatoes didn’t lose $700 million in TVL. Yet.
So, is TON dead, or is it just napping before its grand comeback? Spoiler alert: Anthony Scaramucci thinks it’s the latter. Because, of course, he does.
The Toncoin Tragedy (or: How to Lose 67% in a Year and Still Smile)
According to CoinGecko-the go-to source for crypto enthusiasts and masochists alike-TON’s price has plummeted 67% in the past year. That’s not just a dip; that’s a full-on belly flop into the crypto pool. Ouch.
Remember when Telegram-based meme coins like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat were all the rage? Good times. Back in June 2024, TON hit an all-time high of over $8. Those were the salad days. Now? It’s more like the wilted lettuce days.
But fear not! Development within the Telegram ecosystem is still chugging along. It’s like the little engine that could, except instead of “I think I can,” it’s “I think I might.”
In July 2025, Telegram Wallet became accessible to Americans. Hooray for regulatory compliance! And in November 2025, Coinbase finally listed TON. Because nothing says “we believe in you” like a late-to-the-party exchange listing.
Now, as 2026 rolls out, Telegram is bringing AI into the mix. Because if crypto and AI can’t save TON, nothing can.
A TON of DAT-titude (or: When Acronyms Attack)
Behold, the rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs). Because what the world needs is more financial jargon. Leading the charge is the Manuel Stotz-run TON Strategy (NASDAQ: TONX). Catchy, right?
Then there’s AlphaTON (NASDAQ: ATON), which rebranded from Portage Biotech in September 2025. Because nothing says “we’re serious about AI” like a biotech company pivoting to crypto. Sure, why not?
At the heart of this is Cocoon AI, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s brainchild. Announced in late 2025, it’s a decentralized protocol that promises to revolutionize AI-or at least make it slightly less centralized. Baby steps.
AlphaTON is scaling this decentralized AI network by securing a $46 million deal for NVIDIA GPUs. Because if you can’t beat OpenAI, at least you can try to outspend them.
“In the way that I see it, when I look at the biggest super apps in the world, most of them have their own AI,” AlphaTON CEO Brittany Kaiser told BeInCrypto. Deep thoughts, Brittany. Deep thoughts.
The real kicker? To access Cocoon AI, developers have to pay in TON. It’s like Bittensor, but with more acronyms. And who doesn’t love acronyms?
🐣 It happened. Our decentralized confidential compute network, Cocoon, is live. The first AI requests from users are now being processed by Cocoon with 100% confidentiality. GPU owners are already earning TON. is up.
🏦 Centralized compute providers such…
The Decentralized AI Economy (or: How to Make TON Great Again)
Building economic value for TON by increasing demand? Genius! It’s like discovering fire, but for crypto. Anthony Scaramucci, former White House Communications Director (for a whopping 10 days), is all in. Because if anyone knows a thing or two about comebacks, it’s the Mooch.
His firm, Skybridge, has been backing TON since before the crypto winter. And he’s not letting a little market downturn dampen his spirits. “I am a believer in a multi-chain society,” he says. Because who isn’t?
“We frankly did get hit with a dark winter October 10th for all of the crypto, that would include Bitcoin,” Scaramucci told BeInCrypto. Thanks for the reminder, Mooch.
Kaiser paints a rosy future for TON, Telegram, and AI. With over a billion monthly active users on Telegram and 200 million wallet users, the potential is there. It’s just a matter of execution. And luck. Lots of luck.
“There’s over a billion monthly active users on Telegram, and there’s over 200 million users of the wallet,” Kaiser noted. Impressive numbers. Now if only they could translate into TON’s price.
AI in the Superapp (or: The Future is Here, and It’s Full of Acronyms)
Consumer AI products? They’re everywhere. Google’s Gemini, XAI’s Grok, Meta AI-they’re all nestled snugly within existing services. Telegram’s Cocoon AI launched with minimal buzz, but it’s got potential. Like a shy kid at a party, it just needs time to shine.
That’s the AlphaTON play, according to Kaiser. They’re staking, validating, and earning TON returns. It’s TON-on-TON-on-TON. Because why stop at one layer of complexity when you can have three?
“We raised our first PIPE in order to buy a TON treasury, which is staking and validating and earning TON returns,” she noted. Financial jargon, meet crypto. Crypto, meet financial jargon.
AI is expected to grow to over $900 billion by 2026. That’s a lot of zeros. And AlphaTON wants a piece of that pie. Or at least a crumb.
“Now, being able to earn TON by providing GPUs to do AI is another way of us earning TON. And then we are also staking those revenues to earn TON on returns.” It’s like a TON-flavored Inception.
Keeping It All AI Rosy (or: The Power of Positive Thinking)
Crypto and AI are looking for revenue-generating companies. DATs, being public entities, have to make money to survive. Hence, AlphaTON’s dive into AI. Because if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
The boom in AI, coupled with cryptocurrency, is enticing to investors who can look past the market doldrums. AI agents executing financial transactions within Telegram? It’s like having your own personal finance butler, but with more acronyms.
“I think that’s a huge opportunity, and I definitely see that there are a lot of third-party app developers on Telegram that are building new DeFi products,” Kaiser added. Opportunity knocks. Will TON answer?
Scaramucci is optimistic. He sees AlphaTON as a diverse investor in the Telegram and TON ecosystem, capable of reviving TON’s 2024 glory days. Because if anyone can turn things around, it’s the guy who lasted 10 days in the White House.
“My feeling is that we’ll start with a plan and then over the next 24 to 36 months, we’ll have a fairly robust company with a great net operating income and lots of growth,” Scaramucci added. Here’s hoping.
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2026-01-23 05:01