A new era of ecosystem support is upon us—bigger, better, smarter, faster, and laser-focused on ensuring high-impact projects break through.

Support is now more focused, transparent, and tailored to project needs. Here’s what’s changing, and how to apply.

TL;DR

• We’re focusing support on 5 high-growth verticals: Payments, Simplified DeFi, GameFi, Telegram’s In-App Economy, and AI.
• Support is tailored by stage (Build, Grow, Scale) and tier (Contenders, Champions)
• Apply through the TON Builders Portal for access to tech help, marketing, fundraising, listings, community, and more.
• Projects will be evaluated based on vertical fit, traction, product quality, and more.
• Only registered projects will be eligible – start now.

New Support Strategy for 2025: Built for Builders

We’re transforming how we support TON’s ecosystem. It’s out with the one-size-fits-all approach and in its place, we’re going to be doubling down on the areas driving real adoption, and matching each project with the right tools, at the right time.

Here are the five key verticals we’re prioritizing:

• 💳 Payments
• 💱 Simplified DeFi
• 🎮 GameFi
• 💬 Telegram’s In-App Economy (e.g., gifts, stickers, usernames)
• 🤖 AI

What if you’re working on something outside of these verticals? No problem—we’ve still got your back. Great ideas can come from anywhere, and TON is always open to bold thinking.

Every project now starts in the same place: TON Builders Portal.

Whether you’re still validating an idea or scaling to millions, this is where your journey begins.

Tailored Support Based on Your Stage

We’ve designed support tracks that align with your journey—from building your MVP right through to scaling globally.

🛠️ BUILD – Just Getting Started

You’ve got an idea or prototype. We’ll help you get traction fast.

• TON Nest: Education, mentoring, and networking for early-stage teams
• TON Hubs: Online and IRL events to connect and learn
• Developer Docs & Chats: Get unstuck, fast.

👉 Explore Build Programs.

📈 GROW – Gaining Momentum

Well done! Your project is live and getting traction. What next? Now it’s time to reach more users.

• Marketing Boost: Telegram Apps Center listing and featuring, KOL campaigns (budget required), and official social media promos
• TON Fam Chat: A community of TON founders, partners, and investors.

👉 Explore Grow Programs.

🚀 SCALE – Ready for Hypergrowth

You’ve found PMF and need resources to go big.

• Fundraising Access: Demo Days, TON VC Club (a private channel for investors)
• Listings Help: CoinMarketCap, CoinGecko, and top exchanges
• Telegram Support: Official verification, Fragment support

👉 Explore Scale Programs.

How We Evaluate Projects

To make sure our support drives real impact, we’re introducing a new tiering system to match the right level of resources to each project.

Tiers

• Contenders: Teams competing to break through, with some showing promising signs and big potential.
• Champions: High-impact teams with strong traction. Get high-touch support and priority access to resources.

What We Look For:

• Relevance to key verticals
• Ecosystem alignment
• Team experience
• Funding and revenue
• Product quality
• Traction and growth metrics

🔎 Check out the full scoring benchmarks

📝 How to Apply

For New Projects

1. Register on TON Builders Portal.
2. Submit your application.
3. Our team will match you with the best-fit support based on your stage and tier.

For Existing Projects

Already received TON grants, promo help, or technical assistance? You’ll still need to register your project in the portal to keep receiving support.

🚨 Note: The support team will no longer handle requests via Telegram DMs. All help will be allocated via the new system.

🔑 Why This Matters

This isn’t just a policy update—it’s a commitment to backing the most ambitious builders in Web3. Whether you’re launching your first app or preparing for a major listing, TON support is now more focused and founder-friendly than ever.

So if you're building on TON, now’s the time to plug in.

👉 Register now on the TON Builders Portal and unlock the programs that fit your journey.

📣 Help Us Get Better

Your feedback drives everything we do. Look out for our upcoming Ecosystem Support Satisfaction Survey and let us know how we can serve you better.

Let’s build the future of the open web—together.