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T TON Adoption
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NODE/03 · Term

Sponsored Transaction

Transaction whose gas is paid not by the sender but by a third party (relayer, sponsor). On TON implemented via sponsor-relayer and Tonkeeper Battery. Lowers the barrier for newcomers.

Aliases: sponsored-tx, sponsor transaction, gasless tx

Sponsored Transaction is a TON blockchain transaction where gas is paid not by the sender but by a third-party service (sponsor / relayer). From the user’s perspective it’s a “free” transaction: no TON needed in the wallet.

Why it matters

The newcomer pain point: to send USDT-jetton on TON you need a bit of TON for gas. Bought USDT via P2P → it arrives in your jetton wallet, but you have no TON → can’t make any transfer.

Sponsored transactions fix this: the relayer pays gas, the user only signs. UX becomes as smooth as in a centralised bank.

How it works

  1. User signs a transaction (e.g. USDT transfer) in their wallet.
  2. Wallet sends the signed transaction to a relayer service, not directly to the blockchain.
  3. Relayer executes the transaction from its own address, paying gas.
  4. Relayer is compensated: either a portion of the USDT per transaction (typically 0.1-0.5 USDT), or a user subscription, or a subsidy from a partner contract.

Implementations on TON

  • Tonkeeper Battery — sponsorship programme built into the wallet. User buys “battery charges” with TON or USDT and spends them on gasless transactions.
  • Sponsor-relayer standard — open protocol for third-party relayers. Used in Mini Apps, exchanges, wallets.
  • Jetton sponsor via Notify Callback — some jetton contracts allow the sponsor to pay gas via a special flow.

Limitations

  • Not every transaction type is supported by every relayer. Typically jetton transfers, swaps and basic DeFi ops; rare or new contracts may not work.
  • Cost — the sponsor takes a margin (typically 50-200% over real gas cost). For frequent transactions paying TON yourself can be cheaper.
  • Censorship — relayer can refuse to sign certain transactions (e.g. to sanctioned addresses).

Useful for

  • Newcomer onboarding: new user received USDT in a jetton wallet, can make the first transaction without TON.
  • Telegram Mini Apps: dApp can pay gas for users to boost conversion.
  • Business payments: merchant accepts USDT, can pay gas to make the user side frictionless.
  • Tip jars and micro-payments: channel author receives USDT tip — sponsor pays gas, user pays nothing.

Related: gasless, sponsor-relayer, Tonkeeper Battery.

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