How Telegram plans to turn crypto into a global payments network

Episode 72 of The Crypto Beat features Tim and Kelvin in conversation with Nikola Plecas, VP of Payments at TON Foundation, to break down how Telegram is evolving into a crypto payments platform.

He explains TON’s strategy around merchant tools, stablecoin payments, and reducing friction for everyday users, while highlighting key growth areas like remittances and crypto commerce.

OUTLINE
00:00 - Introduction
00:43 - TON Payments Strategy
01:21 - Merchant Tools and SDK
04:50 - Growth Opportunities
06:59 - Blockchain vs Fiat Rails
09:41 - TON vs Visa Experience
11:20 - Industry Challenges
13:04 - Institutional Adoption
18:13 - Telegram UX and Wallets
23:04 - Regulation and Market Outlook

Guest links:
Nikola Plecas - https://x.com/nikola_plecas
TON - https://x.com/ton_blockchain

Hosts:
Tim Copeland - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/timccopeland⁠⁠⁠⁠
Kelvin Sparks - https://x.com/imyoungsparks

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to The Block's Newsletters!
🚨 Breaking News
👨‍🔬 Expert Analysis
📈 Market Insights

Subscribe now 👉⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hiring in crypto?
🧠 Find top talent fast with Campus, powered by The Block!
✅ Challenge candidates with our Crypto Assessment Test
⚡ Hire faster, build stronger teams

Start your free trial today 👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theblock.co/campus