Tac, a new third-party blockchain, has officially launched its mainnet with the mission of connecting Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) decentralized applications (DApps) to The Open Network (TON) and the broader Telegram ecosystem. This move aims to open up decentralized finance (DeFi) on Ethereum to Telegram's vast user base.
Tac enables Telegram users to directly engage with EVM DApps, providing access to a variety of DeFi protocols like Curve, Morpho, and Euler, according to Tac co-founder Pavel Altukhov. For developers, Tac offers a seamless way to deploy on TON without needing to rewrite code, granting them exposure to Telegram's immense user base, which numbers in the billions.
First publicly announced in July 2024, Tac is designed as a full EVM-compatible layer-1 blockchain. Its primary function is to bridge Ethereum DApps with the TON and Telegram ecosystems.
Tac co-founder Marco Monaco explained that Tac is a project built on TON that features its own "jetton" TON token and collaborates with other projects within the TON ecosystem to "accrue value to TON." Unlike Toncoin ($2.79), TON's native cryptocurrency, jettons on TON are custom crypto assets issued on the TON blockchain using smart contracts, similar to how ERC-20 tokens operate on Ethereum.
Tac's launch is particularly significant because Telegram ceased support for all blockchains other than TON for its Mini App ecosystem in early 2025. This policy shift had previously forced developers to adapt their EVM apps for the TON Virtual Machine (TVM) to gain access to Telegram. However, as Tac stated in a March 2025 post, "Tac now allows EVM developers to integrate their applications with Telegram and TON effortlessly."
Despite its crucial role in connecting EVM DApps to TON and Telegram, the Tac network is being developed by a separate team from both TON and Telegram.
Since its public announcement last year, Tac has successfully raised a total of $11.5 million across its seed and strategic funding rounds in late 2024 and early 2025. The latest $5 million strategic round was led by Web3 venture capital firm Hack VC, which also participated in the $6.5 million seed round last November.
Telegram's prior TON-only strategy for Mini Apps had garnered mixed reactions from the community, with some questioning the messenger's commitment to freedom and decentralization. Conversely, Steve Yun, a TON Foundation board member, defended the move, citing security and scalability benefits.
July 2025, Cryptoniteuae