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Ketju research: Tonstakers (tsTON)

RejectedPublished by Ketju Research

This file describes the economic claim, control, loss, and exit evidence. Client action and amount belong to the advisor. Not investment, legal, tax, or compliance advice.

Research summary

The research assessment is adverse because the product bars the intended users and the underlying asset has undergone a material change. Tonstakers’ own Terms of Service state plainly that “individuals residing in, citizens of, or entities registered in the United States are explicitly prohibited from using this Interface.” The terms use England and Wales law, require binding LCIA arbitration, and add that the operator “and the Interface are not under the active supervision of any government agency or financial regulatory authority.” The product itself thus rules out this registry’s US client base. Apart from that access bar, TON’s native token was renamed back to “Gram,” effective 2026-06-15, after a community vote. This revives the exact name used for Telegram’s 2018 token sale, which the SEC sued over as an unregistered securities offering. Telegram settled in 2020 by paying $18.5M and returning $1.2B to investors. That settlement led the community to rename the coin “Toncoin” specifically to distance it from that history. Tonstakers has already adopted the new name. No public document names the legal entity that operates Tonstakers, and tracked TVL is down roughly 49% from its January 2025 peak.

Observable review triggers

  • This registry never approves an entity that explicitly prohibits this registry's US client base from using it, regardless of any other finding, this is a standing bar, not a reopen condition
  • A named legal entity, jurisdiction, and current audit are disclosed if the US-exclusion bar is ever lifted
  • The regulatory implications of the Gram rename for TON-denominated products are independently assessed by counsel
  • TVL and validator-network share stabilize following the documented drawdown

Facts on file

Verdict
Rejected
Type
Staking
Chains examined
TON
Instruments
TSTON
Reviewed
Last confirmed

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