TON Teleport BTC Testnet Goes Live: Community Invited to Mint First tgBTC

The TON ecosystem has taken a major step toward integrating Bitcoin (BTC) with the launch of the TON Teleport BTC testnet, now officially live and open for public participation. Announced at Gateway 2024 by Roman Krutovoy, Infrastructure Lead at the TON Foundation, and Roman Nguyen, CTO of RSquad Blockchain Lab, the testnet introduces tgBTC, a wrapped Bitcoin asset designed for decentralized finance (DeFi) use cases on the TON blockchain.

Community members are now invited to explore the testnet and be among the first to mint tgBTC, gaining early access to the emerging TON-BTC DeFi bridge.

What is TON Teleport BTC?

TON Teleport BTC is a decentralized and trustless bridge that enables the seamless transfer of BTC into the TON blockchain ecosystem. Once bridged, BTC can be used within TON’s DeFi landscape — from yield farming and collateralized lending to DEX trading and staking protocols.

The goal is to allow Bitcoin holders to put their assets to work while maintaining control and transparency, eliminating the need for centralized custodians.

“TON Teleport BTC is not just a bridge — it’s the start of a new era where Bitcoin becomes programmable and productive within the TON network,” said the project leads.

How to Participate in the Testnet

Participants can mint testnet versions of tgBTC by following a few key steps:

• Set up a TON testnet wallet using apps like Tonkeeper or TON Space.

• Create a BTC Signet wallet via Electrum (desktop) or Unisat (mobile).

• Mint tgBTC using the bridge protocol.

• Burn tgBTC to redeem BTC on the Signet testnet.

Required Wallets:

• Tonkeeper or TON Space (TON testnet)

• Electrum (BTC Signet – Windows, macOS, Linux)

• Unisat (BTC Signet – Android, iOS)

Test Tokens:

• TON Faucet

• BTC Faucet (two options available)

Community members can also access a dedicated Telegram channel for updates and support: t.me/tgbtc_news.

A Testnet Built for Builders

The team behind TON Teleport BTC emphasized that the testnet will evolve rapidly, with bi-weekly updates, bug fixes, and developer contests planned to encourage community contributions and testing feedback.

“This is a unique opportunity to contribute to shaping TON’s cross-chain future,” the developers stated.

Why This Matters

TON Teleport BTC brings a powerful, decentralized alternative to wrapped Bitcoin solutions — most of which still rely on centralized custodians. It opens the door for BTC to be used natively in DeFi applications on a high-performance, scalable blockchain, significantly enhancing its utility.

With total BTC supply capped and largely idle, enabling decentralized usage of Bitcoin in DeFi protocols unlocks untapped value for holders and the broader blockchain ecosystem.

As the testnet unfolds, the TON Foundation plans to gradually expand functionality and security layers, eventually leading to a mainnet launch if testing proves successful.