As the growth manager for Ton Foundation, Martin Masser is on a mission to bring Crypto to the masses, realizing that users are using it. A longtime telegram user and an early Ton advocate from his Ston.fi era, Martin leads one of the most ambitious recruitment pushes on Web3. From giving away NFT and sports-themed stickers to the deployment of Telegram Mini Apps (TMA), he helps transform Ton into the most user-friendly blockchain ecosystem on the planet. In this exclusive interview, Martin shares what drew him to Ton, how to define success, and why the next era of Crypto is hidden by the obvious vision within your favorite messaging apps.
Q1. You have been a key figure in Ton’s ecosystem for many years – originally attracting you to Ton, how did your vision evolve from your Ston?
“I’ve been on the telegram since 2016, and I’ve only heard about Ton through a friend from a market maker. What caught my eye was the idea of solving Crypto’s biggest problem. Onboarding is still difficult for most people – at the time, Ton felt like a hidden gem. It’s loaded with people through them – it’s simple, fun and working.
“Since we left Ston.fi, ecosystems have continued to evolve. New stories like gifts and stickers have emerged. And they are not just fun features, they are onboarding tools. We’ve seen how gifting via telegrams become a gateway for new users.
Q2. As head of growth, how do you define the “success” of recruiting tons over the next 12-18 months?
“Ton is uniquely positioned at the intersection of cryptography and mainstream culture. My role is to make sure that it turns that possibility into an impact. For me, success is three important things.
“First of all, I want to make consumer brands on-chain, especially sports. Sports teams have emotional, lifelong relationships with fans. Ton helps to bond with real utilities such as NFTs, digital products, and gaming fan experiences.
“The second is stickiness. It’s not enough to make a one-time token swap for someone. I want users to interact with ton-driven apps every day, just like using their favorite social or finance apps.
“And the third is relationships within the ecosystem. Many projects are built into silos. I see myself as a tonne of “routers.” Connect the dots, teams discover each other, solve challenges, and work together to build better. ”
Q3. Telegram Mini Apps (TMA) is at the heart of your strategy. What unique benefits does TMA offer over standalone daps and how does it measure their impact?
“TMAS flips the script in a traditional Crypto app. There’s no need to download anything. Just tap and go.
“I feel inherently social because I can share links, introduce friends, or stop by for group conversations. I can do all this without leaving Telegram. Combining that with a seamless crypto wallet connection, there’s something really powerful.
“You can also pin TMA to your phone’s home screen, so it works like a native app, but with all the benefits of being in the telegram.
“When it comes to measuring impact, we’ll look at how often users come back. Is this something open every day? Is it back because it’s convenient, fun or rewarding? In the long run, I want developers to think of “Telegram-first” and even before thinking about building Android or iOS, we’ll think of the design experience that starts here. ”
Q4. What are the biggest hurdles for mainstream telegram users in onboarding? Also, what tactics will you develop to overcome them?
“I think recognition is the first hurdle. Before we build affinity with a brand, we need to make more people aware of the tons. For example, building a one-click product rather than 10 confused steps. We also need to bring what’s already built to more surfaces.
Q5. We talked about stickers, NFTs and RWA. What categories can you first hit critical mass on Ton and why?
“Gifts and stickers are already beginning to pop, and under the hood they are NFTs. But more importantly, they are familiar. They can express, share and collect users in ways that feel natural to the way we already use Telegram.
“As a fan of massive soccer and sports, I see a huge opportunity here: digital memorabilia – club-themed stickers, animated gifts, exclusive drops – will become part of the fan’s identity.
“If the biggest teams are behind this, the scale can be huge. Fans are already hoping for something like this. They don’t know yet that they can live in chains.”
Q6. What new monetization models will be implemented to encourage participation for content creators and channel owners?
“Moneying has always been a pain for creators, but Ton and Telegram are beginning to change. Now we’re seeing creators try posting tips in person, gate private groups behind tokens and NFTs. That’s already a big step away from traditional models.
“I think there’s room for collaboration stickers and introductions. Creators will co-launch digital assets with their audience. These models not only generate revenue, but also build a stronger fan community.
Q7. What tool or incentive program are you most excited to deploy for developers building on Ton?
“I think the most important thing is to develop a stronger relationship with developers. And that means better documentation, more resources, and a more collaborative environment where teams can learn from each other. We don’t want people to build in isolation.
“We’re also bolstering events developed to connect talent in real time. Whether it’s a hackathon, a meetup or a grant, Dev wants to feel like a platform where Ton truly supports and listens.”
Q8. Can you share early metrics and pilot results that will give you confidence in your growth roadmap?
“The momentum around gifts and stickers is getting very large. Approximately 55% of the wallets engaged in these experiences were created this year. It’s a huge indicator of not just speculation, but actual usage. Volume and user growth is surged all over the board.
Q9. Looking three or five years from now, what does the ecosystem of tons truly “incorporated in large quantities” look like in your mind?
“I think it looks like this. I think you’re using the telegram mini app in the same way you use a banking, shopping or riding app. You’re thinking even without thinking about the fact that it’s Web3. All technology is not “crypto”. They don’t use gifts. It looks like an adoption. ”
Q10. If you can waving your magic wand and solve one major industry challenge for tons now, what would it be?
“Crypto eliminates the myth that it’s too difficult to use. They’re in it, especially when you realize how seamless the users are, and you see it in a gift.
It will be displayed again with TMA, stickers and fan engagement. If you can solve the perceptual problems that Crypto has, it’s difficult to use, but the rest will be much easier. ”