The Open Network (TON) has declared the removal of its Toncoin Bridge from service on May 10, 2025. The bridge, which enabled the transfer of Toncoin between the TON network and Ethereum or BNB Smart Chain, was instrumental in TON’s early development. The bridge’s usefulness has been lost, though, as TON’s native ecosystem has matured, and more advanced cross-chain solutions have been adopted.
The Function and Retirement of the Toncoin Bridge
Released in August 2021, the Toncoin Bridge allowed for users to transfer Toncoin to Ethereum and BNB Smart Chain so that they could access decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap and PancakeSwap. The latter was especially crucial when Toncoin was not yet available on centralized exchanges and TON’s own DeFi ecosystem was still in its infancy. Throughout its running time, the bridge facilitated 31,893 transfers and over 101 million Toncoin transactions.
With the growth of TON’s ecosystem, the bridge’s dependency declined. The establishment of native decentralized exchanges and cross-chain platforms’ integration, like LayerZero, Stargate, and Symbiosis, has offered users more efficient and secure ways to transfer assets. As such, the retirement of the bridge is in accordance with TON’s strategic efforts to strengthen its native capabilities.
Improvements in TON’s Ecosystem and Cross-Chain Integration
TON’s 2025 roadmap defines major improvements in enhancing scalability, security, and interoperability. The major developments are the addition of a Layer-2 Payment Network to enable quicker and more affordable transactions, similar to Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. This will help enable high-frequency applications like gaming and on-chain trading.
Furthermore, TON is bringing next-generation smart contract capabilities with the release of TOLK 1.0, a new programming language that increases developer functionality and enables more sophisticated decentralized applications. The network is also developing the integration of Bitcoin cross-chain support through TON Teleport, allowing Bitcoin transactions within the TON chain and deepening its DeFi capabilities.
In addition to strengthening its ecosystem, TON has obtained a $100 million investment from TVM Ventures to support DeFi, PayFi, and infrastructure initiatives. This injection of funds is designed to bring new partners and spur innovative developments on the network.
The departure of the Toncoin Bridge is a turning point in the history of TON, symbolizing its move away from dependence upon foreign networks to a strong, self-contained ecosystem. With TON rolling out its 2025 roadmap, the network is on the verge of consolidating its position within the world of blockchain via improved scalability, security, and interoperability.
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