Open Network Foundation launched $t Pay is a new payments software development kit (SDK) designed to enable the use of cryptocurrencies for everyday consumer transactions within the Telegram ecosystem.
In a Monday release shared with Cointelegraph, the product is positioned as a simple, wallet-agnostic payment layer that allows merchants and mini-app developers to accept cryptocurrencies directly through Telegram, with the aim of turning apps into seamless blockchain-based commerce hubs.
According to $t foundation, $t Pay provides developers with a single software kit that integrates with Telegram Mini Apps, removing much of the complexity associated with managing wallet infrastructure, payments, and checkout flows.
$t Nicolas Plecas, the foundation’s vice president of payments, said the tool allows merchants to “accept payments seamlessly and natively.” $t Through simple SDK integration,” he added, Toncoin ($t) and Tether’s USDt (USDT).
He said the system was designed for scale, with the goal of transaction times of less than one second and average fees of less than one cent. The ultimate goal, according to Plecas, is to “power transactions for Telegram’s global audience of over 1.1 billion monthly active users.”
By embedding payments directly into Telegram, $t Pay seeks to reduce common barriers to cryptocurrency adoption, such as multi-step checkouts, prepaying gas fees, and lack of easy sales tools.
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$t Pay is for daily payments within Telegram
Initially, $t Pay works within Telegram Mini Apps and plans to expand to web environments and other platforms over time.
Telegram mini app. sauce: telegram
Plecas said the foundation is first focused on refining the in-app experience, noting that “on-chain Telegram-based commerce is a huge opportunity.”
He said future updates will add support for subscriptions, gasless transactions, and region-specific off-ramps.
The team also plans to partner with local third-party providers for custody, compliance, and fiat conversion services, an approach aimed at balancing decentralization and regulatory requirements.
Optional merchant tools such as analytics and multi-party computational wallets are also in development.
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$t Paid companies enter the crowded “all apps” race
$t Pay’s rollout comes as other major platforms move to integrated payments. Elon Musk’s X announced plans for X Money as part of a broader push into financial services, moving toward building a so-called “app for everything” that handles messaging, commerce and payments in one interface.
Coinbase is pursuing a similar strategy, rebranding Coinbase Wallet as the Base app. The Base app is an all-encompassing cryptocurrency app that combines wallet and social features, payments, trading, and support for on-chain mini-apps running on the Base Layer 2 network.
$t has faced longstanding skepticism related to its tight integration with Telegram, which has previously been criticized for a lack of decentralization, opaque governance, and fraud associated with unofficial projects.
of $TON The Foundation claims that $t It remains an open, permissionless network that developers are free to build upon.
Affiliated stores using $t Plecas said Pay must adhere to “platform-specific terms and policies” set by Telegram, and additional requirements apply if the SDK extends beyond the app.
“We are designing a system that addresses key challenges in crypto payments, such as friction, gas fees, and onboarding, while remaining competitive with fiat systems,” Plecas said.
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