Telegram is not a neobank — it’s the platform where the next ones are born

Opinion by: Vlad Kamyshov, CEO of Evaa Protocol

The contention to physique the adjacent large Web3 neobank is missing the point. Most projects are inactive focused connected launching standalone apps, creating caller interfaces and rebuilding idiosyncratic acquisition strategies from the crushed up. It’s a acquainted playbook, and progressively an outdated one. In crypto, the adjacent procreation of concern won’t inquire users to power apps; it’ll conscionable them wherever they already are.

Telegram and The Open Network (TON) aren’t trying to go neobanks themselves. They’ve already moved beyond that contention — 1 wherever Revolut and Monzo inactive combat for share. Together, they connection what astir each crypto banking merchandise lacks: a built-in audience, an intuitive interface, organisation embedded wrong existing idiosyncratic flows and the rails to present instant fiscal utility. 

While others vie connected features and flash, TON softly provides the infrastructure to standard Web3 concern invisibly.

The aboriginal isn’t app-based — it’s embedded

Ethena’s integration into TON signals a deeper displacement successful the Web3 banking playbook. It shows that occurrence won’t travel from creating shinier decentralized concern (DeFi) frontends. It volition travel from embedding almighty tools into the platforms that users already cognize and trust. 

With implicit 100 cardinal TON wallets and 1 billion-plus Telegram users, TON has already solved crypto’s astir analyzable challenge: distribution.

Related: Pudgy Penguins debuts play-to-win crippled connected TON

The Web3 assemblage often confuses innovation with reinvention. But users don’t request different app — they request little friction. Telegram flips the script. Instead of asking radical to alteration their behavior, they marque crypto travel straight into existing habits. UX, not APY, is present the competitory frontier.

Most radical won’t wade done automated market-maker liquidity pools oregon staking dashboards to gain passive yield. The breakout infinitesimal for Web3 concern won’t beryllium method — it’ll beryllium behavioral. 

Tap-to-yield, embedded straight into Telegram, sets a caller benchmark for usability. Users tin deposit USDe and commencement earning with conscionable a fewer taps. No outer wallets. No caller accounts. No friction.

If crypto ever hopes to scale, it indispensable halt selling complexity and present invisible infrastructure that works. Web3 doesn’t request to explicate itself to everyone. It needs to go intuitive capable that nary mentation is required.

TON is assembling the rails for an invisible fiscal layer

Ethena is lone 1 portion of a increasing ecosystem. TON is stitching unneurotic the components of a fiscal super-app — not done selling campaigns, but done utility. Tether Gold present offers onchain entree to tokenized golden stored successful Swiss vaults, and soon, done tgBTC, users tin hold and walk Bitcoin natively wrong Telegram without ever touching a accepted wallet oregon exchange. 

This isn’t a postulation of tools. It’s the blueprint for a caller benignant of fiscal entree furniture — 1 that dissolves into the inheritance portion reshaping however users interact with integer assets.

Onchain is nary longer the main battleground

While different furniture 1s vie connected throughput, fees and full worth locked, Telegram has already claimed the astir important territory: the interface. Telegram Mini Apps, bots and built-in wallets let fiscal services to beryllium experienced arsenic portion of chat — not thing users indispensable consciously “log successful to.”

This is what mainstream adoption really looks like. Not dashboards made for traders but creaseless flows, minimal friction and concern that feels similar messaging. Telegram has already onboarded the adjacent cardinal users. TON is gathering the rails that volition activate them.

The crypto manufacture is clinging to a myth: that the champion merchandise wins. In reality, the champion interface already won. 

DeFi’s adjacent section is astir attention, not APYs

Yield-maximizing strategies and method complexity defined the aboriginal DeFi playbook. But astir users don’t privation to optimize. Instead, they privation to participate. Telegram’s ecosystem offers that information without the steep learning curve. Financial services get natively wrong the abstraction wherever users already walk their time.

To beryllium clear, there’s inactive country for standalone innovation. Projects betting connected idiosyncratic migration alternatively than idiosyncratic momentum whitethorn beryllium disadvantaged successful the epoch of embedded Web3 finance.

The projects that proceed to pursuit maturation done standalone apps and UX-heavy flows whitethorn soon find themselves retired of step. Attention is the caller on-ramp. The existent question isn’t however users volition observe caller apps — it’s whether fiscal services tin scope them earlier they person to look.

The roadworthy ahead: From apps to access

Tightly integrated with Telegram, the adjacent signifier of TON’s improvement is acceptable to redefine however users prosecute with finance. AI agents are expected to go idiosyncratic assistants who usher users, execute transactions and simplify the complexities of crypto. Bitcoin (BTC) successful Telegram won’t conscionable beryllium a store of worth — it volition powerfulness lending, payments and more. And caller DeFi savings products volition merge blockchain inferior with the intuitive, mobile-native simplicity radical expect from modern neobanks.

The contention to physique the adjacent Web3 neobank whitethorn already beryllium implicit — not due to the fact that 1 app won, but due to the fact that 1 level rewrote the rules. The winners volition beryllium the ones who embed, not compete. 

The remainder whitethorn find they built the close product… successful the incorrect place.

Opinion by: Vlad Kamyshov, CEO of Evaa Protocol.

This nonfiction is for wide accusation purposes and is not intended to beryllium and should not beryllium taken arsenic ineligible oregon concern advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed present are the author’s unsocial and bash not needfully bespeak oregon correspond the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.