Institutional engagement with blockchain is gaining momentum. Banks, asset managers, and global enterprises are making serious moves into blockchain technology, but their success depends on the construction of infrastructure that meets institutional-grade requirements.

The numbers tell the story: 86% of institutional investors globally now have exposure to digital assets or plan to allocate to them in 2025. This isn't peripheral interest anymore: it's a fundamental shift toward adopting blockchain as enterprise-ready technology.

This growth is pushing developers towards building infrastructure that's more robust, easier to integrate with, and safer for institutional users. This growing user base brings clear expectations shaped by decades of experience in regulated markets and enterprise technology. They expect the same standard of compliance frameworks, security, user experience, and operational reliability that are now standard features of traditional finance.

These demands aren't barriers to adoption: they map a pathway for scalable, trustworthy growth. Meeting institutional requirements represents an opportunity for blockchain ecosystems like TON to mature into platforms capable of delivering enterprise-level solutions with genuine real-world utility.

What institutions expect from infrastructure

Institutions don't look at blockchain technologies uncritically, nor should they. They bring specific expectations that blockchain infrastructure must meet to gain meaningful adoption.

Security and operational control top every checklist. This means sophisticated key management that goes beyond consumer wallets, access controls that align with corporate governance, and approval systems that prevent single points of failure. Between 38% and 50% of enterprises cite wallet security and key management as significant barriers to blockchain adoption.

Compliance and transparency requirements are non-negotiable. Financial institutions must adhere to strict Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) frameworks with clear audit trails. Given that they already use automated compliance reporting, they expect this to be implemented in blockchain infrastructure as standard. Major regulators now explicitly require institutions to deploy analytics platforms for ongoing monitoring.

User experience expectations mirror what institutions demand from any enterprise software: intuitive interfaces and workflows designed for business users rather than technical specialists. Complex onboarding processes and inconsistent interfaces remain primary barriers to institutional adoption, with many enterprise users abandoning blockchain applications after their initial interactions.

Integration support is critical for institutions that need blockchain solutions to work seamlessly with existing infrastructure. This requires enterprise-grade Application Programming Interface (APIs) and integration capabilities with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, compliance platforms, and treasury management tools. TON's focus on developer tooling addresses exactly these integration challenges.

These expectations represent an opportunity rather than an obstacle. They're driving the development of infrastructure that benefits all users while making blockchain technology genuinely ready for institutional-scale deployment.

The institutional Web3 stack

Meeting institutional demands requires a comprehensive technology stack addressing five essential layers.

Wallets and key management form the foundation, but consumer solutions currently fall short of enterprise needs. Institutions require multi-user permission systems and secure storage with role-based access controls. Solutions like those from BitGo and Fireblocks are addressing this gap with collaborative security models.

Custody and compliance represent the more mature areas. Institutions need regulated, insured custody solutions operating under clear jurisdictional frameworks. Major providers like Anchorage Digital and Coinbase Custody now offer audited, regulated storage. However, institutional-grade custody remains fragmented across markets with varying regulatory requirements.

Liquidity and settlement capabilities directly impact institutional operations. Deep liquidity and fast settlement are essential. Stablecoin adoption has now reached institutional scale, with USDC alone processing over $1 trillion in monthly volume and 90% of global businesses now using or piloting stablecoins.

User interface and experience development lags behind institutional needs, with most platforms built for developers rather than business users. Complex onboarding processes remain primary barriers to institutional adoption. However, TON's integration with Telegram's familiar interface directly addresses this challenge.

APIs and integration require institutional-grade standards that many platforms are still developing. What's required are comprehensive APIs with proper documentation and real-time support. Providers are, however, developing unified API suites that abstract multi-chain complexity.

Where chains are succeeding

No blockchain has yet perfected the complete institutional stack, but rapid progress across different ecosystems is creating a more mature infrastructure landscape. Increasingly, institutional demands are driving innovation that benefits the entire Web3 ecosystem.

Different chains excel in different areas. Some focus on compliance frameworks, while others target user experience innovation, or else pure scalability. This diversity creates the potential for multiple pathways for institutional adoption.

TON is well-positioned within this landscape. With transaction throughput of 104,000-108,000 TPS and settlement finality in 3-5 seconds, TON's technical capabilities align with institutional performance requirements. The platform also supports the stablecoin-based payments and scalable applications that institutions increasingly demand.

TON's integration with Telegram's platform, encompassing 950 million users, addresses the persistent challenge of user onboarding and experience. Making blockchain interactions seamless through familiar interfaces represents exactly the innovation that institutional adoption requires.

Recent developments demonstrate growing institutional recognition. The $400 million institutional treasury initiative and expanded custody support through platforms like Crypto.com signal serious institutional interest. Overall, TON's approach targets the key integration and user experience challenges that often prevent institutions from adopting blockchain solutions despite their strong underlying technology.

The combination of enterprise-grade performance with user-friendly onboarding addresses institutional needs across multiple infrastructure layers. More work needs to be done to ensure that these developments are recognised by a broader section of would-be institutional entrants to blockchain. Future blogs will explore specific institutional use cases on TON, examining how these infrastructure foundations translate into practical business applications for enterprises across different sectors.