Telegram to Share Ad Revenue Via Ton Blockchain; TON Soars 18%

Privacy-focused messaging giant Telegram will start sharing advertisement revenue with users starting in March, founder Pavel Durov said in a broadcast message on his official channel on Wednesday.

"Broadcast channels on Telegram generate 1 trillion views monthly. Currently, only 10% of these views are monetized with Telegram Ads — a promotion tool designed with privacy in mind," Durov wrote. "

In March, the Telegram Ad Platform will officially open to all advertisers in nearly a hundred new countries. Channel owners in these countries will start receiving 50% of any revenue that Telegram makes from displaying ads in their channels."

All payments and withdrawals will be settled on TON blockchain, a network created by the same company that built Telegram.

The network's native TON token spiked 18% to nearly $2.6 as the broadcast went viral on social media.

This is a developing story and will be updated.