Share this article
Blockchain Project TON Enters Crypto Storage Market
The TON Foundation aims to solve large-scale data storage problems with the new project.
Updated May 9, 2023, 4:05 a.m. Published Jan 5, 2023, 1:12 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
The TON Foundation, the stewards of proof-of-stake blockchain TON that was created by Telegram Messenger founders, is starting a data storage ecosystem called TON Storage.
The project aims to enable users to exchange files of any size while providing financial incentives to node operators to host files for users, the TON Foundation said in a statement to CoinDesk.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
“A node operator and a user create a smart contract on the TON blockchain that guarantees that the user will pay a fixed amount in toncoin to store files for a predetermined amount of time,” the statement said. This will ensure users are able to store data “virtually in perpetuity,” the statement added.
A node is one of the computers that run the blockchain’s software to validate and store the complete history of transactions on the network.
Read more: Crypto Storage Protocol Tokens Slide as Traders Short FileCoin and Storj
How it works
Ton Storage operates like a peer-to-peer file-sharing system using the TON blockchain. In an attempt to decentralize the file storage, TON sites can be hosted on TON Storage, without the need for a centralized web server.
Due to TON Storage's alignment with peer-to-peer file sharing and similarity to traditional torrents – a way of storing a file among distributed locations over the internet – users can exchange files of any size safely and guarantee that all data will be securely backed up and encrypted.
Historically, however, with torrents there was not much incentive to store users' data and files could not be guaranteed to last. TON Storage aims to change that by offering users incentives to become node operators and host files.
“Anyone can become a node operator on the TON network and receive payments from other users for hosting files, even if operating just one node,” the developers said. “The accessibility of this new product will incentivize new, independent users to join the TON network, helping to grow the TON ecosystem even further."
The move comes after a rough few weeks for similar decentralized file-storage tokens, such as Filecoin (FIL), Storj (STORJ) and Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) as traders liquidated their long positions at record levels.
The traders who were selling the storage coins might be questioning the utility the protocols, which have a massive – and growing – storage capacity, but no obvious use case.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Why crypto’s new token issuances are falling flat and what comes next
New crypto tokens overwhelmingly lost value in 2025 as early liquidity, weak utility and misaligned distribution collided with a risk-averse market.
What to know:
- About 85% of tokens launched in 2025 are trading below their initial valuations, with the median token down more than 70%, according to Memento Research.
- Broad exchange-led distribution and airdrops flooded the market with short-term traders, creating persistent selling pressure and weak alignment with product usage.
- Regulatory uncertainty and thin token utility left many new assets without a clear long-term value proposition in a market dominated by bitcoin outperformance.
Top Stories
