MTONGA Steps 5, 6, 7: What Durov Might Announce Next

As of June 1, 2026, Durov has shipped 4 of 7 MTONGA steps. The remaining three are the most intriguing part of the program because they likely set the strategic direction of TON for the next 2–3 years.

Durov is not disclosing the remaining steps publicly. But based on:

• His 2024–2025 public statements
• Telegram patents filed 2025–2026
• TON Foundation roadmap
• MTONGA’s contextual logic

— we can make reasoned hypotheses with varying confidence.

What we know about pace

MTONGA steps 1–4 shipped in 53 days — April 10 to June 1, 2026:

Average gap — ~17 days, with high variance (3 to 28 days). Extrapolating:

• Step 5 — roughly early July 2026
• Step 6 — late July / August 2026
• Step 7 — September / October 2026

By end of 2026, MTONGA should be fully complete per this extrapolation.

Hypothesis for step 5: Gram integration into Telegram Premium and ads

Probability: high (70–80%)

Why this is likely

The most obvious follow-on from the rebrand is making Gram functionally needed for Telegram users. Today Gram is just a payment crypto, like ETH or SOL. Telegram has the unique ability to make it a utility token.

Possible mechanisms

Mechanism 1: Gram staking unlocks Telegram Premium. Stake, say, 100 Gram → get Premium automatically. Unstake → Premium turns off. Creates sticky stake that doesn’t get sold.

Mechanism 2: Gram as universal Telegram-ads currency. Today advertisers pay in Stars or TON directly. Unifying — all ad spend in Gram. Telegram agents auto-convert fiat → Gram → ads. Creates constant buy pressure on Gram (Telegram’s ad budget is in billions).

Mechanism 3: Stars as Gram-stable derivative. Telegram Stars is today an independent in-app currency. A model is possible where Stars are backed by Gram (1 Star = X Gram at a fixed rate), making Gram a reserve currency for Stars.

Mechanism 4: Gram payments for creator economy. Tipping in Telegram channels, exclusive-content subscriptions, paywalls — all in Gram. Growing niche (Twitch, Patreon analogs), Telegram has distributional advantage.

What supports it

• Telegram has been working on monetizing its existing user base for years
• Durov clearly names “integration with Telegram products” as a key vector
• Logical continuation of steps 1–4 (tech upgrade + brand) is functional integration

What argues against

• Technically complex at billion-user scale
• Regulatory risk (turning Gram into a utility token may attract SEC attention)
• May trigger backlash from crypto purists (“Telegram corrupting a decentralized network”)

Hypothesis for step 6: scaling (L2 or additional shards)

Probability: medium (40–50%)

Why this is likely

If Telegram really integrates Gram into Premium / ads / payments (step 5), network load explodes. 30 million Premium subscribers with regular on-chain activity is serious TPS.

Catchain 2.0 gives sub-second finality and supports significant volume, but mass adoption of Telegram features may require additional scaling.

Possible variants

Variant A: additional shardchains. TON architecturally supports dynamic sharding. Dedicated shards can be carved out for specific Telegram products — chat payments, ads, Premium.

Variant B: Telegram L2. A separate chain on top of TON, optimized for messenger scenarios. More radical step, needs new architecture.

Variant C: AppKit / Builders Portal 3.0. Not network scaling, but developer ecosystem growth — simplified SDK, no-code tools, millions of new dApps.

What supports it

• TON Foundation’s 2026 roadmap mentions AppKit, Rust Node, Builders Portal 3.0
• Telegram patents mention “messenger-optimized sidechains” (2025)
• Technically, scaling TON is a reasonable step for 1B users

What argues against

• Catchain 2.0 already provides huge throughput headroom
• An extra L2 fragments liquidity (bad for DeFi)
• Telegram may prefer using existing TON infrastructure rather than building separate

Hypothesis for step 7: Bitcoin bridge Teleport + AI agents

Probability: medium-low (30–40%)

Why this is likely

The 2026 TON roadmap specifically mentions:

• Teleport — trust-less Bitcoin bridge, ETA summer 2026
• AgenticKit — framework for AI agents on TON

If those land in 2026, Durov logically folds them into MTONGA as a culminating step.

Teleport details

A trust-less Bitcoin bridge is technically very hard. Existing BTC bridges (WBTC, tBTC) rely on trusted custodians or federated multisigs. Trust-less approach requires:

• ZK proofs of Bitcoin chain state in TON validators
• Multi-party computation for signing
• Epochal sync updates

If Teleport really ships — it’s a significant technical achievement and a strong USP for TON.

AgenticKit: on-chain AI

The concept of AI agents with their own wallets is a hot 2025–2026 topic (Virtuals, Olas, Eliza-OS). TON is well positioned: 1 billion Telegram users, low fees (post step 2), fast transactions (post step 1).

Possible launch:

• AgenticKit SDK for developers
• Marketplace of AI agents via Telegram Mini Apps
• Default integration of AI agents with Gram payments

What supports it

• Durov has publicly engaged with AI (mentioned ChatGPT, Anthropic in 2024–2025 interviews)
• Telegram already uses AI for moderation, translation, suggestions
• AI-agent economy is a growing crypto narrative

What argues against

• AI agents is a very speculative niche with no proven product-market fit
• Bitcoin bridge is technically risky (history of bridge hacks: Ronin, Wormhole, Nomad)
• Durov may focus on more prosaic things (regulatory compliance, listings)

Alternative scenarios

”Sudden pivot”: Telegram announces its own chain

Probability: low (10–15%)

Possible step — Telegram announces its own blockchain, separate from TON, with Gram as the currency of both. That would radically reshape TON’s positioning but give Telegram more control.

Not very likely given how much Durov has already invested in TON. But not impossible — Durov is known for sharp pivots.

”Institutional”: Telegram launches ETF-friendly Gram derivatives

Probability: low-medium (20–25%)

With the SEC softer on crypto, a spot Gram ETF in the US becomes possible. An MTONGA step could be formal support for this — TradFi listings, partnerships with custodians (BitGo, Coinbase Custody), institutional reporting.

”Privacy + ZK”: shielded transactions in TON

Probability: low (10–15%)

Durov is known for his pro-privacy stance. ZK-shielded transactions on TON could be a unique USP, the Zcash equivalent at a major network scale. Technically possible post-Catchain 2.0.

But this conflicts with Telegram’s “more cooperation with regulators” trajectory after Durov’s 2024 arrest.

What MTONGA steps will NOT be (our prediction)

To avoid disappointment:

• Token burn / supply reduction. Gram emission is unchanged. Burn is unlikely (community vote required, community unlikely to agree to a supply shock).
• Coinbase / Binance.US listing. May happen, but probably organically, without a formal MTONGA step.
• Major price prediction from Durov. Durov never comments on price. Won’t be an official MTONGA element.
• Airdrop to existing holders. Airdrops technically aren’t needed (the rebrand is automatic conversion). Durov could announce an airdrop of new tokens or NFTs, but that’s a separate initiative.

What to do as a long-term holder

If you hold Gram (Toncoin) with a 1–2 year horizon:

1. Don’t trade on our hypotheses. These are scenarios, not predictions. Real steps may be entirely different.
2. Follow @durov. Every MTONGA step ships through that channel. Subscribe + notifications.
3. Realize MTONGA is more than half done. Most upside from the announcement-driven pumps may be priced in already.
4. Prepare for volatility. Each step swings the price 10–25% in one direction or another. If you’re a large holder, consider hedging via perpetual futures on Bybit / OKX.
5. Account for disappointment risk. If a step underperforms market expectations, sell-off follows. That’s normal.

Sources for our hypotheses

• Durov’s public posts in @durov (2024–2026)
• Telegram patents filed at USPTO 2025–2026
• TON Foundation roadmap (ton.org/roadmap)
• Durov interviews in TechCrunch, Bloomberg (2024–2025)
• Notable announcements: “Crypto Bot integration” (2024), “Wallet expansion” (2024), “MTONGA framework” (April 2026)

Further reading:

• MTONGA: full breakdown of all 7 steps
• Toncoin → Gram main explainer
• Post-MTONGA centralization analysis
• Durov and TON: 9-year journey