High DeFi Barriers

Building on the previous challenge, while Tap-to-Earn GameFi campaigns have converted around 3% of Telegram users into TON users—mainly attracted by airdrop incentives—these users face significantly higher barriers when attempting to participate in more complex DeFi activities. The key challenge lies in delivering DeFi yields while dramatically simplifying the user experience.

Internal user research further reveals that among respondents unfamiliar with blockchain, 80% found blockchain concepts too complex. Operational steps like wallet setup, signature authorization, and mnemonic phrase management were seen as overly technical and confusing. Combined with jargon-heavy interfaces designed primarily for Web3-native users and a lack of meaningful feedback or guidance, these issues often led to high failure rates on first attempts. As a result, many users abandoned DeFi exploration prematurely.

This observation echoes the remarks made by Steve Yun, Founder of TVM Ventures and former Chairman of the TON Foundation, during the 2024 Web3 Carnival in Hong Kong:

“In the large-scale adoption of Web3, there are problems such as complicated user experience, lack of simple onboarding methods, no viral marketing, and no distribution channels. TON has integrated wallets, MiniApps, simplified onboarding mechanisms, and Telegram Ads directly into Telegram, which have solved these issues to a certain extent. We believe that an onboarding layer is needed between Web2 and Web3—one that includes simple mechanisms (such as Click-to-Earn), social virality, and gamified approaches (such as Play-to-Earn, Learn-to-Earn, and Use-to-Earn). Viral applications combined with the Web3 economy can achieve mass adoption.”

He also emphasized that the TON Foundation aims to onboard 30% of Telegram users into Web3 by 2028.

This reinforces the importance of designing DeFi products that are intuitive and accessible to Telegram users. Only then can the financial potential of Web3 reach the mainstream.