The Open Network (TON), a blockchain infrastructure project originally created by Telegram, has recently outlined its roadmap for the first half of 2025, highlighting significant updates such as a new Layer 2 payment network and several quality-of-life improvements.
Layer 2 Network and its Role in TON Ecosystem
A key highlight of TON’s 2025 roadmap is the Layer 2 Payment Network, designed to enhance blockchain performance by offering faster and cheaper transactions. The payment channel network, similar to Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, will enable instant money transfers with minimal fees, crucial for applications requiring high transaction speeds like on-chain trading and gaming.
Enhancements to TON’s Core Functionality
The TON Core team has outlined several substantial upgrades, including the 'Accelerator' Mainnet update for improved shardchain tracking, higher interoperability with projects such as Axelar and Wormhole for seamless cross-chain operations, improvements in smart contract programming with TOLK 1.0, and a BTC bridging mechanism co-developed with RSquad.
TON’s Path to Sustainable Growth
TON has successfully expanded its user base to over 113 million in January 2025, even after its airdrop campaigns ended. The network generated over $2 million in fees in Q4 2024. The project continues to optimize its DeFi sector, with a current total value locked (TVL) of $294 million. The focus is on expanding the network's utility and real-world applications beyond meme tokens.
TON's current initiatives aim to build a more sustainable and functional ecosystem, leveraging Layer 2 and other core upgrades to strengthen its position in DeFi and enhance real-world application use cases.
