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Pavel Durov said Toncoin<a href="https://yellow.com/asset/ton" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">(TON)</a> now runs across 400 validators on six continents, framing the network as one of the most <a href="https://yellow.com/research/what-the-decentralized-web-is-how-it-works-and-why-it-matters-now" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">decentralized blockchains</a> in operation.
<h2 id="durov-pitches-400-validator-footprint">Durov Pitches 400-Validator Footprint</h2>
The Telegram founder <a href="https://t.me/durov/510" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">shared</a> the figure in a post on his Telegram channel. He argued that Telegram's recent move to become the chain's largest validator widened the door for exchanges and custodians without tilting the network toward centralization.
Durov <a href="https://www.hokanews.com/2026/05/ton-reaches-400-validators-across-6.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">framed</a> the six-continent validator spread as proof that institutional staking can grow without weakening decentralization.
The claim arrives roughly a week after <a href="https://yellow.com/news/telegram-ton-validator-staking-surge" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Telegram formally replaced the TON Foundation</a> as the main operational driver of The Open Network, staking around 2.2 million TON to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/26/05/52272066/pavel-durov-says-telegram-now-driving-force-largest-validator-of-the-open-network-toncoin-jumps-23" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">claim</a> the top validator slot on May 4.
That earlier announcement was the third step of Durov's "Make TON Great Again" roadmap.
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<h2 id="analyst-read-on-staking-math">Analyst Read On Staking Math</h2>
Critics had warned that putting Telegram at the top of the validator list would concentrate block production in one company. Durov's counter is geographic: a 400-node set across six continents, he argues, lowers correlated risk from regional regulation, outages, or political shocks.
Alexander Tobol, chief technology officer at Wallet in Telegram, <a href="https://beincrypto.com/telegram-ton-takeover-drives-rally/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">told</a> BeInCrypto that TON could lead all chains by active retail wallets if Telegram's roughly 900 million users settle transfers, payments, and mini-app activity on the chain.
Analysts also flagged staking yields above 20% as a draw for new validators, with annual percentage rates currently sitting near 18.8%.
Network usage backs the pitch. TON processed 67 million transactions in April, its strongest month of 2026, and total Q1 throughput hit 1.5 billion transactions.
<h2 id="ton-s-recent-run">TON's Recent Run</h2>
The validator headline lands during a strong stretch for the token. TON <a href="https://coinedition.com/telegram-replaces-ton-foundation-as-tons-largest-validator-token-surges/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">rallied</a> more than 100% in the week after the May 4 takeover announcement, and Durov separately said on May 8 that TON now ranks first in annual staking rewards among the 50 largest cryptocurrencies.
Transaction fees fell sixfold in late April, dropping the base cost to roughly $0.0005 per transfer.
The price surge cooled near the $3 resistance zone before settling into a tighter range this week. Whether the 400-validator milestone keeps that momentum going will depend on how quickly staking inflows convert into broader institutional participation.
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Durov Says 400 Validators On 6 Continents Put TON Among Most Decentralized Blockchains

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Other articles published on May 13, 2026

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