KEYTAKEAWAYS
- APAC Strategy Launch: From "Eastern Experience" to Super App Vision
- AI + Gaming Takes Center Stage: Kingnet Partnership Sparks Developer Tool Revolution
- 2025 Ecosystem Blueprint: Super Apps, Institutionalization, and BTC Bridge
- KEY TAKEAWAYS
- APAC STRATEGY LAUNCH: FROM “EASTERN EXPERIENCE” TO SUPER APP VISION
- AI + GAMING TAKES CENTER STAGE: KINGNET PARTNERSHIP SPARKS DEVELOPER TOOL REVOLUTION
- 2025 ECOSYSTEM BLUEPRINT: SUPER APPS, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND BTC BRIDGE
- DEFI AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION: FROM “POCKET FINANCE” TO REAL-WORLD USE CASES
- ECOSYSTEM SYNERGY AND HONG KONG AMBITIONS
- DISCLAIMER
- WRITER’S INTRO
CONTENT
Today, the 2025 Hong Kong Web3 Festival, with TON Foundation as the main sponsor, welcomed the heavyweight special event “TON Day.” As an important segment of Asia’s annual Web3 gathering, this day-long in-depth seminar was held on the main stage of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), attracting over a thousand developers, investors, and industry leaders. The event focused on blockchain innovations within the Telegram ecosystem, comprehensively showcasing TON’s (The Open Network) ecosystem expansion ambitions and technical implementations across GameFi, AI, and DeFi.
APAC STRATEGY LAUNCH: FROM “EASTERN EXPERIENCE” TO SUPER APP VISION
The event opened with TON Foundation’s APAC head John presenting “This Moment in TON History,” reviewing the network’s key developments in the Asia-Pacific region. He specifically mentioned that TON’s unique advantage lies in its deep integration with Telegram—”800 million monthly active users globally serve as a natural testing ground for applications.” However, he also pointed out that TON’s future “may not lie in MEME coin speculation,” but rather in achieving mass adoption through “trust-building methods like cashback incentives.”
Following this, TON Society Hong Kong head Yuki introduced the local developer support program, emphasizing Hong Kong’s position as “TON ecosystem’s Asia-Pacific hub.” She revealed that over 50 local teams have received technical and financial support through TON Society, covering tracks such as payments and social gaming.
AI + GAMING TAKES CENTER STAGE: KINGNET PARTNERSHIP SPARKS DEVELOPER TOOL REVOLUTION
The morning’s highlight came from the gaming and AI segment. Chinese gaming giant Kingnet CEO Shen Jun announced that their AI model “Xingyi” will be officially deployed to the TON blockchain, providing developers with tools for automated generation of animations, scenes, and characters. The first application case will be “Zarya,” a space-themed mini-game developed by SmileCobra Games, planned to launch on Telegram within the year.
“In traditional game development, art costs account for over 60%, while ‘Xingyi’ can reduce this by 80%,” stated Shen Jun. This collaboration was viewed by developers present as a breakthrough that “changes industry rules.” Televerse founder Aaron further pointed out that user acquisition costs for Telegram mini-games are only 1/3 of those for WeChat mini-programs, which, combined with TON’s low gas fee advantage, could potentially give rise to “the next viral hit like ‘Sheep a Sheep’.”
2025 ECOSYSTEM BLUEPRINT: SUPER APPS, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND BTC BRIDGE
The afternoon agenda shifted to TON’s long-term strategy. TON Foundation ecosystem lead Alena Shmalko released the “2025 Developer Roadmap,” highlighting three initiatives: the TON Studio toolkit to simplify smart contract development, Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) solutions for traditional enterprises, and a compliance framework for institutional investors.
The Open Platform CEO Andrew Rogozov described a vision of “Telegram as a global Web3 super app”: “Users don’t need to download new apps; they can complete transactions, play games, and even invest in stocks directly through the chat interface.” Infrastructure lead Roman Krutovoy further revealed that the cross-chain protocol tgBTC will launch on testnet in Q2, aiming to “bring Bitcoin liquidity into the TON ecosystem.”
DEFI AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION: FROM “POCKET FINANCE” TO REAL-WORLD USE CASES
In the DeFi segment, TON Foundation DeFi head Vlad Degen announced the launch of an institutional-grade liquid staking protocol with support from institutions like HashKey Capital. Storm Trade’s Asia Growth Head Vivi introduced the concept of “StarFi,” combining social influence with derivatives trading, sparking discussions about “KOL-driven finance.”
During the final panel discussion, RedotPay co-founder Jonathan Chan shared the implementation case of their TON on-chain payment card, allowing users to directly link physical Visa cards to spend cryptocurrency through Telegram. Animoca Brands Investment Director David Ching commented: “TON’s killer app may emerge from ‘frictionless blockchain’ scenarios—where users don’t even realize they’re using Web3.”
ECOSYSTEM SYNERGY AND HONG KONG AMBITIONS
The event concluded with a lucky draw, but the real “easter egg” was the undercurrent of capital cooperation. According to insiders, several VCs in attendance were in discussions with the TON Foundation about establishing a specialized ecosystem fund, potentially reaching $50 million in scale.
“Hong Kong is becoming a strategic pivot for TON’s eastward expansion,” summarized TON Society Marketing Head Xiu. In this packed event, from AI-empowered gaming revolutions to the quiet entry of institutional funds, TON ecosystem’s “Asian moment” seems to have accelerated.
Overall, this year’s TON Day showed less of the “cryptocurrency frenzy” volatility and more discussion of substantial use cases. Both Kingnet’s AI tools and the tgBTC protocol demonstrate TON’s determination to bridge technical infrastructure with traditional business. While other public chains are still competing for existing DeFi users, TON has chosen a differentiated path—leveraging Telegram’s traffic advantages to “hide” blockchain behind billions of social interactions. This “silent but pervasive” ambition may be its most powerful weapon.
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