Examining TON’s network – Built for the short term or the long term? – Crypto News

• TON’s rolling percentage gains, measured from October 2021 to January 2025, revealed an advantage for long-term investors
• Analysis showed that liquid staking dominated TVL, contributing over $200 million

In 2024, The Open Network (TON) positioned itself as a strong contender for long-term investment. As expected, this left long-term investors expecting profits this year.

Hence, it’s worth analyzing if TON’s ecosystem can sustain the growth it has seen so far. Especially with long-term investors achieving a 69% profit, while short-term holders faced significant losses.

Short-term struggles vs. Long-term rewards

TON’s rolling percentage gains, measured from October 2021 to January 2025, revealed an advantage for long-term investors. Holders who maintained positions for over one year secured a 69% profit by early 2025, despite market volatility.

Meanwhile, short-term traders recorded losses, including a -4.2% decline for 1-week holds.

While 6-month gains fluctuated, they often lagged behind 1-year returns, peaking at 150% during bullish cycles but dropping sharply during market downturns.

This trend suggested that short-term speculation in TON carried higher risks, while long-term holding provided stability and mitigated losses. The ability to maintain a steady 69% profit for extended periods underscored TON’s resilience, reinforcing its credibility as a long-term asset in an unpredictable market.

How TON’s ecosystem maintains strong capital flows

An analysis of TON’s total value locked (TVL) can lend us some insight into its liquidity and long-term sustainability.

By February 2025, for instance, the TVL climbed to $300 million, with the same maintaining its momentum despite a broader market downturn affecting many altcoins.

Source: CryptoQuant

Analysis also revealed that liquid staking dominated TVL, contributing over $200 million, with decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and lending protocols adding further market stability.

Smaller categories, such as yield farming, Telegram Bots, and derivatives, peaked at $75 million in mid-2024. before stabilizing. TON’s ability to sustain high TVL levels during market volatility is a sign of strong investor confidence and network liquidity.

Such consistent investment can also allude to ongoing adoption, while positioning TON as a reliable ecosystem for long-term capital deployment. Needless to say, this also reinforces its potential for sustained price growth.

Steady user engagement and transaction growth

That’s not all though as workchain activity within TON, analyzed from February 2024 to February 2025, indicated ongoing user engagement.

The network recorded steady transaction volumes and active users, with a notable July 2024 spike reaching 4.8 million transactions and 24 million users. This was driven by the “Hamster Kombat” phenomenon.

Source: CryptoQuant

Over the last 15 hours of February 2025, the network stabilized at 1.2 million transactions and 6 million users, maintaining a strong base despite previous surges. This stability demonstrated TON’s ability to manage high demand, while retaining long-term user engagement.

The network’s consistent transaction volume pointed to sustained demand, reinforcing its strength as a long-term investment vehicle.

Growing adoption and market stability

Finally, TON’s masterchain, responsible for synchronizing network operations, exhibited steady growth in active addresses from July 2021 to January 2025. The number of active addresses peaked at 8 million in mid-2024, correlating with a price hike on the charts.

Source: CryptoQuant

By February 2025, active addresses declined to 2 million, with the price stabilizing as well. Despite this fall, however, the network retained a higher baseline than in previous years, signaling persistent user activity.

Also, the masterchain’s role in block validation and network stability contributed to TON’s resilience. The pattern of active address growth aligned with workchain activity spikes, reinforcing the network’s overall strength and supporting a long-term bullish outlook for TON.

In conclusion, these indicators highlighted TON’s ability to maintain value and adoption despite market challenges. With a network built on liquidity, stable adoption, and growing infrastructure, TON has positioned itself as a robust long-term investment. It may be poised for sustained growth in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.