TON Development Services and TON Development Firm Guide: From TON Developers Program to Production Apps

A practical playbook for decision-makers evaluating TON in 2025: how to go from grant/accelerator programs and Telegram-native distribution to architecting, building, and scaling production-grade apps that monetize via Stars, USDT on TON, and Telegram Ads payouts in Toncoin. (blog.ton.org)

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Summary (description)

TON is now the fastest-growing Telegram-native L1 with real distribution, USDT settlement, and mature dev tooling. This guide explains the current developer programs, the modern TON stack (Blueprint, Tolk/Tact, TON Connect), Mini App monetization (Stars, Ads in TON), security/ops gotchas, and a 90‑day delivery plan your team can execute. (blog.ton.org)

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Why TON is different for startups and enterprises in 2025

• Native distribution: Telegram’s Mini Apps (TMAs) run inside Telegram with first‑class APIs, now with a 2.0 upgrade (full‑screen, homescreen pinning, device capabilities, subscriptions via Stars). For growth teams, this behaves like a mobile super‑app surface without App Store install friction. (core.telegram.org)
• Monetization that actually settles:
  • 50% ad‑revenue share for broadcast channels, settled exclusively in Toncoin on TON. For brands and media, this is a turnkey on‑chain payout rail tied to content distribution. (coindesk.com)
  • “Telegram Stars” lets TMAs sell digital goods using standard IAP on iOS/Android, then convert Stars to Toncoin via Fragment—avoiding common mobile policy pitfalls while staying crypto‑native on settlement. (finance.yahoo.com)
  • USDT launched on TON in April 2024 and grew at record pace—your app can price in dollars but live on TON. (theblock.co)
• Proven performance: TON demonstrated 100k+ TPS in a public, audited stress test (dynamic sharding), underscoring headroom for consumer-scale apps. Treat it as capacity, not a guaranteed production TPS—but it’s a strong indicator. (chainwire.org)

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The “TON Developers Program” landscape: who funds what (and how to tap it)

You’ll encounter several overlapping initiatives; here’s how they fit, with realistic ranges and timelines:

• TON Accelerator Program (TAP): Up to $25M via TONcoin Fund; typical checks $50k–$250k with mentorship and BD support. Good for teams with an MVP and a clear TON‑native angle (DeFi, TMAs, infra). (blog.ton.org)
• The Open League (TOL): Seasonal liquidity and user‑growth incentives. Early 2024 pilots distributed up to 1M TON; later, DeFi Grants offered up to $520k per team, and a dedicated 5M TON DeFi incentive program targeted DEXs and liquid staking. Align your launch with a TOL season for CAC subsidies. (blog.ton.org)
• Topical incentives: e.g., EVAA lending 100k TON program; Storm Trade 100k TON; periodic competitions co‑run with partners (Jupiter) for aggregation/liquidity projects. These are ideal for narrowly focused product sprints with measurable TVL/volume KPIs. (blog.ton.org)
• Hackathons and Bootcamps: TON HackerHouse (with $1M prizes) and TON tracks at major events (e.g., ETH Belgrade). Use these for rapid prototyping and ecosystem intros. (blog.ton.org)
• Grants in 2025: “Champion Grants” target high‑impact teams already scaling; if you have traction, this is the door to knock on. (blog.ton.org)

Tip: When we apply on your behalf at 7Block Labs, we map your milestones to each program’s scoring rubric (user growth, DeFi TVL, integration breadth), then time your TMA launch to a TOL window so your first 30–60 days benefit from incentive multipliers.

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Architecture choices that matter on TON

• Sharding and message routing: TON uses an “infinite sharding paradigm” with per‑account virtual chains aggregated into shards; cross‑shard delivery is guaranteed via Masterchain queues. Practically: design contracts assuming asynchronous messages and bounces. (docs.ton.org)
• Storage fees and account lifecycle: Contracts accrue storage rent; if unpaid, accounts can freeze (>0.1 TON debt) or be deleted (>1 TON debt with zero balance). Your ops budget must fund hot addresses that hold state (e.g., order books, vesting contracts). (beta-docs.ton.org)
• Fee model: Total tx fee = storage + import + compute + action + forwarding. For cost‑control, minimize cell/bit usage in state, avoid unnecessary outbound messages, and batch operations. (beta-docs.ton.org)
• Address handling: Use bounceable addresses for smart‑contract destinations (safety on failure) and non‑bounceable for funding uninitialized accounts; wallets auto‑flip bounce flags based on account status—mirror this logic in custom senders. (docs.ton.org)

Production pattern we implement:

• Keep high‑churn state off‑chain (Ton Storage or app DB) with on‑chain anchors; pay rent only for critical state. (blog.ton.org)
• Consolidate value in a treasury contract; fund ephemeral operational contracts just‑in‑time to limit rent exposure.

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The modern TON dev stack (2025)

Languages and compilers:

• Tolk 1.0: New primary language, more expressive than FunC, designed for TON’s actor model. If you’re starting fresh in 2025, we default to Tolk for core contracts. (blog.ton.org)
• Tact: TypeScript‑like DSL with a Trail of Bits audit; great for fast onboarding and complex app logic. Roughly a third of unique mainnet contracts were in Tact by early 2025. (docs.ton.org)
• FunC: Battle‑tested low‑level language; still used for reference standards.

Tooling:

• Blueprint (npm create ton@latest) scaffolds projects, spins up a sandbox chain, runs tests, and deploys via TON Connect or deeplink. This is the default way we bootstrap repos. (docs.ton.org)
• TON Connect 2.0: Wallet–dApp handshake with bridge servers, SDKs, and guidance for backend auth. Required for TMA + wallet flows. (github.com)
• Client libraries and APIs:
  • @ton/core (actively maintained) for low‑level primitives. (npmjs.com)
  • TonAPI (REST, emulation, streaming), Toncenter (JSON‑RPC), and TONX (Supernode + SDK) for production indexers and higher RPS. We mix providers for redundancy. (docs.tonapi.io)

Example quick start:

• Scaffold:

  npm create ton@latest

  → choose Tolk/Tact, generate tests and deploy scripts.
• Local test: Use Blueprint Sandbox to run end‑to‑end unit tests in‑process for speed. (docs.ton.org)

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Telegram‑native product patterns that work

1. Payments and pricing:

• Digital goods (subscriptions, boosts, game items): Use Stars for IAP compliance; allow creators to convert Stars to Toncoin via Fragment. We’ve seen this reduce iOS review cycles and unify SKU logic across platforms. (finance.yahoo.com)
• Crypto settlement: Enable USDT on TON for dollar pricing and minimal exchange friction; default to Toncoin for micro‑fees and internal incentives. (theblock.co)
• Merchant checkout: Wallet Pay lets bots/TMAs accept BTC, USDT, TON natively in Telegram; align usage with your jurisdiction and policy review. (theblock.co)

1. Distribution and growth:

• TMAs now support full‑screen modes, device APIs, subscriptions, homescreen pinning—use them like first‑class mobile apps routed via deep links. Combine this with Telegram Ads and the 50% channel revenue share (paid in TON) for creator partnerships. (theverge.com)

1. Wallet experiences:

• TON Space is a self‑custody wallet integrated in Telegram’s Wallet; in 2023 rollout it excluded the U.S.—plan geo‑based feature flags if you target U.S. users. (techcrunch.com)

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Tokenization and standards you’ll actually use

• Jettons (fungible) and NFTs on TON follow TEP‑64 metadata and TEP‑62/NFT patterns; reference implementations make marketplace and wallet support predictable. Use semi‑chain metadata to keep images off‑chain with on‑chain fields for name/symbol. (beta-docs.ton.org)
• TON DNS and Sites: Human‑readable .ton names resolve to wallets or services; TON Sites + Storage enable resilient hosting and app content pinning. Useful for vanity addressing and content provenance. (docs.ton.org)
• DEX and staking integrations: STON.fi and DeDust dominate liquidity; liquid staking via Tonstakers/Bemo (tsTON/bmTON) composes well in DeFi programs like TOL. We wire LP + staking strategies to bootstrap TVL. (docs.ston.fi)
• Wallet standards: Newer W5 (a.k.a. V5) supports multi‑send and gasless constructs in compatible wallets; understand versioning if you’re generating wallets programmatically. (tonkeeper.helpscoutdocs.com)

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Security, compliance, and ops: the stuff teams overlook

• Storage rent budgeting: Track contract state growth and auto‑top accounts before freeze thresholds; we add rent alarms keyed to config param 18 and account stats. (beta-docs.ton.org)
• Bounce logic: Always handle bounced messages; never execute original payloads on bounce. This prevents subtle replay/logic errors in async flows. (docs.ton.org)
• Node vs. API: Running an archive node for analytics/explorers requires serious hardware (16 cores, 128 GB RAM, ~12–14 TB SSD). Most apps should start with TonAPI/Toncenter/TONX and add light/full nodes only when needed. (docs.ton.org)
• TMA impersonation risk: Ship via official bot handles; educate users not to install APKs or use clones (popular games spawned malware imitations). We add in‑app provenance banners and link hygiene. (thesun.co.uk)
• U.S. distribution: Given TON Space’s initial exclusion of U.S. users, keep region‑aware toggles for wallet features and ensure Wallet Pay usage aligns with local policy. (techcrunch.com)

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Practical examples

1. One‑tap “dollar” checkout in a TMA

• Flow: User taps Buy → if iOS/Android digital item, charge via Stars → server tallies Stars and, on threshold, convert to Toncoin via Fragment for treasury; for non‑digital goods or web, present Wallet Pay with USDT‑TON rail. This splits policy‑constrained and on‑chain settlement cleanly. (finance.yahoo.com)

1. DeFi launch with incentives

• Pair your token with USDT‑TON pools on STON.fi, stake LP in farms, and apply for an Open League DeFi grant. Target measurable KPIs (pool depth, 30‑day volume, LST integrations) to qualify for higher tiers. (blog.ton.org)

1. Risk‑aware wallet funding

• When deploying new user wallets/contracts at scale, send a small non‑bounceable message first to initialize, then fund later—preventing large value loss on mis‑deployment. Enforce non‑bounceable for uninit and bounceable post‑activation. (docs.ton.org)

1. Dev scaffolding and testing

• Start with

  npm create ton@latest

  , pick Tolk or Tact, write unit tests that assert exit codes and gas usage in the Blueprint Sandbox; integrate TON Connect for wallet auth in your TMA. (docs.ton.org)

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Emerging best practices we recommend

• Languages: Prefer Tolk for new core contracts; use Tact for fast shipping or team skill‑match. Keep FunC snippets for critical performance sections. (blog.ton.org)
• Monetization strategy:
  • Digital in‑app: Stars → Toncoin via Fragment.
  • On‑chain DeFi and payouts: Toncoin + USDT‑TON pairs.
  • Creator deals: Leverage Ads payouts in TON to structure rev‑share with channel owners. (finance.yahoo.com)
• Infra: Multi‑provider indexers (TonAPI + Toncenter + TONX) with health checks; only run your own nodes for deterministic indexing or data locality requirements. (docs.tonapi.io)
• Compliance and regions: Feature‑flag wallets and payouts by region (U.S., etc.). For merchants, Wallet Pay can be viable but confirm local rules. (techcrunch.com)
• Growth loops: TMA virality + Stars promotions + channel Ads reinvestment create a closed loop inside Telegram—this is a practical “Web3 super‑app” playbook you can run now. (theverge.com)

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90‑day delivery blueprint (what we do at 7Block Labs)

• Days 0–14: Product and compliance design
  • Choose flows: Stars vs. Wallet Pay vs. USDT on TON; define geo flags.
  • Draft token economics if applicable (Jetton/NFT per TEP‑64/62). (beta-docs.ton.org)
• Days 15–35: MVP build
  • Scaffold contracts (Tolk/Tact) with Blueprint; wire TON Connect; set TonAPI/Toncenter/TONX providers; build TMA UI with Telegram WebApps SDK. (docs.ton.org)
• Days 36–55: Liquidity and payments
  • List on STON.fi pool (USDT‑pair), integrate Tonstakers/Bemo if LST utility is needed; stand up Wallet Pay (if in scope). (docs.ston.fi)
• Days 56–75: Incentives and partnerships
  • Apply to Open League/DeFi programs; coordinate co‑marketing with channel owners and ads budget (paid in TON). (blog.ton.org)
• Days 76–90: Scale and ops
  • Add rent/fee monitors; load‑test sharded message patterns; prep an archive data plan or expand API redundancy; security review (bounce handling, exit codes, upgrade paths). (docs.ton.org)

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When to run nodes vs. buying infra

• Start with APIs (TonAPI/Toncenter/TONX). Only run a full or archive node when you need:
  • deterministic replays,
  • sub‑second internal analytics,
  • or data residency/compliance.
    Archive node specs today imply 16 cores, 128 GB RAM and ~12–14 TB SSD; budget both hardware and SRE. (docs.ton.org)

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Key gotchas (and how we mitigate them)

• Unpaid storage fees freezing critical contracts: add automated refills based on param‑18 pricing and per‑contract size; shrink state aggressively. (beta-docs.ton.org)
• Mis‑routed funds to uninit addresses: enforce the bounceable/non‑bounceable rules in SDKs and run a small “init” send before larger transfers. (docs.ton.org)
• Policy traps on iOS/Android: monetize digital goods with Stars, not direct crypto; convert to TON post‑facto. (finance.yahoo.com)
• Over‑promising TPS: plan for realistic app‑level throughput; the 100k+ TPS event was a controlled testnet stress test, not a production SLA. (chainwire.org)

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Why 7Block Labs

We specialize in Telegram‑native products on TON—from grant applications to token design, TMA UX, smart‑contract engineering, exchange/liquidity go‑lives, and long‑term SRE. Our approach pairs the modern TON toolchain (Blueprint, Tolk/Tact, TON Connect) with distribution levers unique to Telegram (Ads in TON, Stars, USDT‑TON rails), shipped under enterprise‑grade delivery and monitoring.

If you’re exploring TON, the fastest path is a scoped MVP on a TMA with Stars + USDT settlement and a measured DeFi liquidity plan. We’ll help you win the right incentives, ship safely, and scale.

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Reference links (selected)

• Dev tooling: Blueprint quickstart; Tolk/Tact docs; TON Connect spec and SDKs. (docs.ton.org)
• Payments: Stars and ad payouts in TON; USDT on TON; Wallet Pay. (finance.yahoo.com)
• Architecture: Sharding, fees, storage rent, limits. (docs.ton.org)
• Infra: Archive node requirements; production APIs (TonAPI, Toncenter, TONX). (docs.ton.org)
• Ecosystem programs: Accelerator, Open League, DeFi incentives. (blog.ton.org)

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Note: Metrics and program details are current as of December 15, 2025; always confirm active grant windows and API SLAs before committing roadmaps. (blog.ton.org)