In 2024, Toncoin (TON) captured significant attention within the cryptocurrency community as the tap-to-earn trend surged in popularity. This trend saw messaging platforms like Telegram become focal points for tap-to-earn gaming, drawing attention to TON. However, the momentum surrounding TON has since waned. Despite this, Tracy Jin, the Chief Operating Officer at MEXC, one of the leading global cryptocurrency exchanges, expressed optimism about TON's potential to become the first everyday blockchain by 2027. She also suggested that TON’s growth trajectory might eventually rival that of Solana (SOL).

During an exclusive interview, Jin elaborated on what sets TON apart from Ethereum (ETH) and Solana and outlined the future trajectory of the TON ecosystem. Tap-to-earn gaming was one of the dominant narratives in crypto during 2024, with Telegram emerging as a key hub for these types of games. Jin acknowledged in her conversation with BeInCrypto that while the tap-to-earn trend had both positive and negative effects on TON, it ultimately helped increase adoption and bring TON into the limelight.

This trend initially drove user engagement but proved to be unsustainable in the long term. Jin noted that for TON to regain momentum, the next phase must go beyond mere gamified elements. She revealed that the foundational elements for this transition are already in place. Early signs indicate a shift toward utility-driven use cases, particularly in areas such as Telegram-integrated payments, mini-apps, and funding for serious developers within the ecosystem. Jin emphasized that the next steps involve enhancing real-world integration and offering better support for developers. She also highlighted that Telegram, as TON’s native user acquisition engine, distinguishes it from other networks and could further drive its expansion.

Jin pointed out that TON’s growth strategy focuses on a space where many Layer-1 blockchains struggle to compete: integrating within a native, everyday interface. She underscored that Ethereum serves as the foundation for smart contracts, while Solana has established itself as a high-performance alternative for decentralized finance (DeFi) and consumer applications. Conversely, TON is concentrating on user adoption.

At present, widespread use remains a challenge for many blockchains. Jin cited Ethereum’s ongoing struggles to achieve mass adoption despite years of development as an example. She added that TON is simplifying this process by offering familiar tools, such as Telegram Wallet, to its users. These tools enable crypto usage within chats, games, and peer-to-peer (P2P) experiences. Additionally, TON provides an effortless user experience by abstracting away common pain points like gas fees and private key storage, making it easier for people to engage with crypto.

Mini-apps integrated into Telegram, such as Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, and Catizen, are also successfully onboarding millions of users, often without them realizing they’re using blockchain technology. While Ethereum and other networks face challenges with complexity, TON is making crypto accessible with minimal barriers.

Furthermore, Jin highlighted the fact that Telegram’s 900 million crypto-curious users provide TON with a significant advantage in transforming the platform into a crypto-native super app. She predicted that TON is well-positioned to onboard the next 100 million retail users, potentially rivaling Solana’s growth. However, its success will still depend on infrastructure development and addressing regulatory challenges.

Meanwhile, the MEXC executive shared some notable milestones for TON, emphasizing strong user enrollment. She disclosed that more than 150 million accounts have been created on TON. The network records an average of 2 million transactions per day, with approximately 2 million active monthly wallets. In fact, TON has also become a popular choice for non-fungible token (NFT) trading, largely driven by the Telegram Gifts Marketplace.

While these are solid benchmarks, Jin stated that they do not make TON the most popular blockchain ecosystem—yet. She predicted that if current adoption trends continue, the network could reach over 2.6 million daily active users in 2026 and surpass 10 million by 2027.

Jin also provided her forecast for TON’s price, which has declined 53.1% over the past year. BeInCrypto data showed that the altcoin traded at $3.2 at press time, down 61.0% from its all-time high of $8.2. Nonetheless, Jin believes that reclaiming and even surpassing this record high might occur in the coming years.

She explained that price predictions should be based on fundamentals. However, if TON continues to expand its utility layer, attracts more developers, deepens Telegram integration, and gains wider merchant adoption, a valuation in the tens of billions of dollars wouldn’t be unrealistic.

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