According to Cointelegraph, the TON Foundation has announced a collaboration with Tada, a ride-hailing application in Singapore, enabling users to book rides and pay with cryptocurrency. This partnership introduces a Telegram Mini App, allowing users to book rides within the Telegram messaging platform and complete their bookings through The Open Network (TON). Tada, founded in 2018, operates in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, with plans to expand into Hong Kong in 2024. The company’s zero-commission policy offers better prices for riders and drivers.
As part of the collaboration, users can pay for their trips using TON tokens or Tether (USDT), which operates on the TON blockchain. Tether launched USDT on TON on April 19, during the Token2049 event in Dubai, attended by Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, TON CEO Andrew Rogozov, and Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino. Harvey Kim, head of Korea at TON Foundation, mentioned that the upcoming Token2049 event in Singapore would promote the collaboration by offering 4,000 free rides and discounts. Attendees can make free and discounted taxi rides using the Mini App in Telegram, which accepts both Toncoin and USDT on TON.
Kim emphasized that the partnership accelerates the adoption of Web3 solutions by forging strong partnerships with Web2 platforms, enabling users to become familiar with the benefits of Web3. He described the collaboration as a significant step for TON, highlighting its potential to introduce practical applications for cryptocurrency by combining ride-hailing services, social media, and crypto payments. When asked about the preference between crypto and fiat payments, Kim stated that the choice is up to the users.
