TON Foundation’s Martin Masser on Growth, U.S. Expansion and Building Everyday Crypto

Martin Masser has been at the TON Foundation for just over seven months, but his journey into crypto dates back more than a decade. He recalls his early interest in Bitcoin around 2012, when the process of buying digital assets was still cumbersome. Working in traditional banking at Credit Suisse, he found himself drawn to the energy of crypto’s early days.

From FX Banking to Blockchain

That interest eventually led him to STON.fi, a decentralized exchange built on TON, where he served as Chief Business Development Officer. Under his tenure, the platform scaled from $8 million to $350 million in total value locked.

“I like to call myself the TON concierge,” Masser explains. “People come to me and I’m like, actually, you need to be speaking to this person, you need to be doing this. Have you thought about this? It’s just connecting people, opening the door and helping them in.”

That ethos carried over naturally when he joined TON Foundation’s leadership team, where his focus now lies in expanding TON’s presence globally.

Supporting Developers and Building Use Cases

Masser explains that TON is not only attracting users but also working hard to support developers in creating sustainable businesses. “There’s a big ecosystem support scheme, and people can apply for that. It’s not just register your name and get support—it’s about building,” he said.

Much of the current activity revolves around Telegram Mini Apps. According to Masser, once developers understand the tools available, the use cases emerge quickly—from integrating wallets to experimenting with games, DeFi miniapps, and digital collectibles.

“It’s amazing, once you start telling them that they have these tools, people come up with so many of the use cases themselves.”

Gaming, Payments, and the Social Edge

Asked about TON’s strongest areas, Masser pointed to the unique synergy between TON and Telegram. “Obviously the gaming is very, very unique in the sense that you can play games on Telegram. A lot of people don’t know that you can just load up a game in seconds—it’s just like messaging a person.”

He believes gaming and social features are natural fits, but stressed that TON’s scope is broader than any single vertical. Payments and wallets are also central. TON powers both custodial and non-custodial wallets inside Telegram, allowing seamless peer-to-peer transfers.

There is an ease of use, he argues, is what will drive adoption beyond the crypto-native crowd.

Expanding into the U.S. Market

Much of Masser’s current mandate is to raise TON’s profile in the United States and Europe, markets where awareness of the blockchain still lags behind Telegram’s ubiquity. “Everyone in crypto in America is in Telegram, so they know the app,” he said. “But a couple of years ago, no one even knew what TON was—they thought I was mispronouncing Tron,” laughs Masser.

Regulatory clarity is also playing a huge role. “We feel more comfortable going there and actively pursuing it,” Masser notes, citing recent legislation as a step toward clearer rules of engagement. The immediate challenge, he said, is raising awareness among users and builders that Telegram is more than messaging—it is a distribution channel for games, payments, and other blockchain-enabled services.

He sees the cultural energy of the U.S. as particularly promising. “I love the American market, especially. There’s so much that comes out of America, a lot of the narratives as well. I love going to America. There’s an energy. There’s a buzz, you know.”

A Vision for Everyday Use

Looking ahead, Masser described TON’s long-term vision as seamless integration into daily life. “What would be great is people using TON probably without realizing they’re using TON,” he said. “I never know what my internet router settings are, but I use it every day. I’d love it to be the same with TON—you’re doing five things a day on the network without even realizing there’s crypto behind it.”

From gaming to digital collectibles, the goal is to make blockchain-powered services invisible yet indispensable. “You just need to make people’s lives easier, more fun, more enjoyable—and that’s how you get people to use it.”

For TON Foundation, the path forward lies in bridging the familiarity of Telegram with the scalability of blockchain, positioning itself as the network where everyday users and global brands can meet. As Masser put it, the ultimate ambition is simple: “I just want it in their everyday life.”