The TON Foundation announced a collaboration with Tada, a ride-hailing application in Singapore that will allow users to book rides and pay with crypto.
With the collaboration, Tada launched a Telegram Mini App — mini-applications that function within the Telegram messaging platform — allowing users to book rides in Singapore. The Mini App will allow users to complete their bookings through TON.
Tada is a company founded in 2018 that operates in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. The firm has a zero-commission policy, which allows better prices for riders and drivers. The company will expand into Hong Kong later in 2024.
Crypto payments for taxi bookings
Because of the partnership, users can pay for their trips using The Open Network (TON) token or Tether (USDT), which runs on the TON blockchain.
On April 19, Tether launched USDT on TON, bringing its stablecoin to the network. The announcement was made during a keynote speech at the Token2049 event in Dubai, which included Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, TON CEO Andrew Rogozov and Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.
Harvey Kim, head of Korea at TON Foundation, told Cointelegraph that with the upcoming Token2049 event in Singapore, the two organizations are promoting the collaboration by giving users 4,000 free rides and discounts. Kim said:
“Attendees at next week’s TOKEN2049 event will be able to make free and discounted taxi rides using a Mini App in Telegram that doesn’t require any new downloads opens up in just one tap, and accepts both Toncoin and USDT on TON.”
Related: Rise of Telegram Mini Apps: How it started, and how it’s going
Accelerating Web3 adoption with Web2 partnerships
The executive also said that the move accelerates the adoption of Web3 solutions. He explained:
“If we want to accelerate the successful adoption of Web3 solutions, it’s crucial that strong partnerships are forged with exciting Web2 platforms that enable their users to quickly become familiar with the many benefits of Web3.”
Kim described the partnership as an important step for TON, highlighting its potential to introduce practical applications for cryptocurrency. He noted that it combines elements of ride-hailing services, social media, and crypto payments in a unique way.
However, when asked if it’s better to pay with crypto than fiat, the executive only said that “the choice is yours.”
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