**DeFi Takes Center Stage on TON Blockchain**

The TON Foundation has declared the upcoming year as pivotal for decentralized finance (DeFi) on The Open Network (TON) blockchain. Partnering with Curve Finance, they hosted a competition for DeFi teams to develop stable asset swaps using Curve's technology.

**Key Developments:**

- TON is establishing foundational DeFi elements like lending and liquidity staking.

- Future plans include bridging TON with networks like BTC and EVM to incorporate major stablecoins.

**Competition Highlights:**

- Out of 70 applicants, Torch Finance and Crouton Finance emerged victorious, earning $150,000 each for audits and liquidity incentives.

- These projects will integrate into the CrossCurve protocol, enhancing liquidity markets.

**Looking Ahead:**

- TON and Curve Finance plan to launch $500,000 in incentives to facilitate stablecoin exchanges across networks.