abstrak:Bitget Wallet and Foresight Ventures unveil a $20M fund to fuel Telegram Mini Apps, aiming to boost innovation and support developers in the TON ecosystem.
Bitget Wallet, the non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet of the Bitget exchange, and Foresight Ventures have joined forces to launch a new $20 million fund aimed at promoting the development of Telegram Mini Apps. Announced on November 11, this initiative marks a strategic push toward advancing crypto adoption within the popular messaging platforms ecosystem.
The fund is designed to support developers working on Telegram Mini Apps, offering financial backing and guidance to create new projects that can thrive within the Telegram-linked blockchain, The Open Network (TON). By investing in this platform, Bitget and Foresight Ventures are paving the way for innovation within TONs digital ecosystem, which has recently faced challenges.
This announcement comes after TON experienced a steep decline in its total value locked (TVL) in recent months. Following a peak of $776.6 million in July 2024, TONs TVL has plummeted, partly due to unexpected market shifts and the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France.
Despite a brief recovery in September and October, TON‘s TVL remains low, currently standing at $356 million, based on DefiLlama’s data. This decline has also affected popular Telegram Mini Apps like Hamster Kombat, which once led engagement in the ecosystem but has since seen a decrease in its active user base.
With this new funding program, Bitget Wallet and Foresight Ventures hope to reinvigorate the TON ecosystem. Bitgets technical support includes access to its OmniConnect developer kit, along with operational and marketing resources to help developers build strong communities around their apps. In addition, the program offers strategic partnership opportunities, potential listings on Bitget, and investment support from Foresight Ventures, ensuring a holistic approach to developer success.
This isn‘t Bitget and Foresight’s first major commitment to the TON ecosystem. In September 2024, the two firms announced a $30 million strategic investment to further support TON‘s governance and growth initiatives. This latest fund builds on that commitment, demonstrating their intention to remain at the forefront of TON’s ongoing evolution.
Final Thoughts
The $20 million fund marks a significant step in supporting Telegram‘s Mini App ecosystem, providing much-needed resources to foster growth within the TON platform. Bitget and Foresight Ventures’ continued investment signals confidence in the future of Telegrams blockchain ecosystem despite recent setbacks. This initiative could prove instrumental in reenergizing TON and spurring the development of next-generation Mini Apps that contribute to a thriving digital economy on Telegram.