TON Coin Leadership Change and Cross-Chain Bridge Shutdown

TON Coin appoints Maximilian Crown as CEO and announces a $400M funding round to advance blockchain strategies in 2025.

The leadership shift and funding aid TON’s efforts to boost blockchain adoption while the cross-chain bridge shutdown may isolate liquidity temporarily.

Maximilian Crown Takes Helm as TON CEO

The TON Foundation has appointed Maximilian Crown, former co-founder of MoonPay, as CEO in April 2025. This change is part of a strategic restructuring to enhance scalability and adoption through Telegram’s network.

“The TON Foundation has named Maximilian Crown as its new Chief Executive Officer following a wave of strategic restructuring… Crown, previously co-founder of crypto payments firm MoonPay, joins TON amid heightened focus on scaling blockchain adoption via Telegram’s vast user base.” — Maximilian Crown, CEO, TON Foundation

Alongside this, the $400 million investment from global VCs demonstrates significant institutional interest. This funding aims to support the foundation’s goals, particularly in scaling blockchain infrastructure.

Shutdown of TON’s Cross-Chain Bridges Announced

Among immediate impacts, the shutdown of cross-chain bridges with Ethereum and BNB on May 10, 2025, might restrict liquidity movement, challenging current DeFi operations linked to TON’s network.

However, proponents argue that these changes enable a shift towards more secure and modern solutions, possibly leading to enhanced, native DeFi infrastructure and integrations, as per industry analysts.

Solana-Ethereum Case Reflects TON’s Future Path

Historically, the removal of bridges, like in the Solana-Ethereum case, causes short-term liquidity disruptions but often leads to enhanced native solutions. Tokens tend to recover as ecosystems mature, echoing TON’s anticipated path.

“The move falls in line with TON’s strategy to go fully native and integrate with the most modern cross-chain architectures.” — Matt Kurosawa, Blockchain Analyst

Experts, including blockchain analyst Matt Kurosawa, suggest that the bridge shutdown aligns with efforts to transition to modern cross-chain architectures, potentially fostering long-term growth if executed effectively.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are volatile, and investing involves risk. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor.