Catenaa, Wednesday, June 18, 2025- Telegram has taken a major step toward becoming a financial super app with the launch of Affluent, the first native decentralized finance (DeFi) lending application built directly on its messaging platform.
Affluent, launched Monday, allows users to access lending pools and crypto yield strategies without leaving the Telegram interface.
Built on The Open Network (TON), the app targets both retail savers and institutional liquidity providers, integrating DeFi services with Telegram’s vast user base of over 900 million.
Co-founded by former TON Foundation director Justin Hyun and DeFi researcher Hyung Lee, Affluent aims to simplify crypto savings and transform Telegram into what it calls a “smart bank for crypto.”
The app’s interface is designed to mirror the seamless functionality of Chinese super apps like WeChat by embedding financial services into daily user interactions.
Affluent also rolled out a points-based rewards system to encourage user engagement, beginning with deposits into its TON multiply vault.
The platform plans to introduce strategy vaults tied to tokenized assets such as Bitcoin, US Treasuries, gold, and private credit.
Telegram’s DeFi integration comes after its formal backing of TON in 2023, following years of regulatory setbacks. The app’s push into finance contrasts with its ongoing efforts to police illicit activity.
In May, Telegram shut down thousands of channels tied to Xinbi and Huione, two Chinese-language marketplaces accused of laundering over $35 billion using Tether (USDT).
The crackdown underscores Telegram’s dual role as a platform for innovation and enforcement amid mounting regulatory scrutiny.
