The Open Network (TON), the independent layer-1 blockchain integrated with the Telegram messaging app, announced that it has reduced block times to 400 milliseconds with the Catchain 2.0 consensus update. Payment transactions are completed in approximately 1 second, trades settle in real-time, and decentralized applications have reached speeds similar to traditional apps. Faster block production increases validator rewards, strengthening staking incentives; the annual inflation rate will rise from 0.6% to 3.6%.
Source: Pavel Durov
Technical Details of the TON Catchain 2.0 Update
Catchain 2.0 develops the original algorithm proposed in 2020, optimizing the Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) mechanism. Thus, the network has reached thousands of transactions per second (TPS) capacity. A clear spike was observed in the TPS graph after the update, with peak values recorded according to TON Explorer data.
TON’s transactions per second (TPS), spike following the release of the Catchain 2.0 consensus upgrade. Source: TON Explorer
TON Price Current Status and Market Movement
On Thursday, TON rose 2.3% to $1.28, currently trading at $1.35 but experienced a -2.04% drop in the last 24 hours. Trading volume increased 35% to $130.1 million, market cap to $3.17 billion. RSI at 51.71 is neutral, trend sideways but Supertrend giving bearish signal. EMA 20: 1.3410.
| Level | Price | Score | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 Support | 1.2600 | 62/100 ⭐ | -6.39% |
| S2 Support | 1.3058 | 60/100 ⭐ | -2.99% |
| R1 Resistance | 1.3625 | 81/100 ⭐ | +1.23% |
| R2 Resistance | 1.4056 | 68/100 ⭐ | +4.43% |
Telegram Integration and New Features
Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated that despite bans in Iran and Russia, the app has reached over 1 billion users thanks to VPNs. With TON integration, users can make crypto payments from within the app. In February, self-custodial vaults for BTC, USDT, and ETH were launched, and this month TON Futures with Lighter perpetual futures trading were started.
Source: Pavel Durov
Staking Incentives and Inflation Impact
Fast block production increases validator rewards. Although annual inflation will rise from 0.6% to 3.6%, staking APY becomes attractive. This is critical for TON Detailed Analysis; creates opportunities for long-term holders.
Market Context: BTC and ETH ETF Flows
On April 22, 2026, ETF flows saw Bitcoin ETFs with $335.8 million net inflow, Ethereum ETFs $96.4 million inflow. This positive flow could support altcoins like TON, but bearish Supertrend creates short-term pressure on TON. Compared to BTC Analysis, TON’s speed advantage stands out.
Recommendations for TON Investors
- S1 1.2600 strong support; buying opportunity.
- If R1 1.3625 breaks, upside target 1.40.
- dApp ecosystem will grow with Catchain 2.0.
Source: https://en.coinotag.com/ton-catchain-20-block-times-drop-to-400ms
