The company formerly known as First Stage Labs has announced a name change to The Open Platform (TOP). According to the company, this is a strategic step that better represents its dedication to the goals of TON Foundation, its blockchain partner.
As part of the rebranding process, the company will merge with the creators of Wallet, a cryptocurrency app that works seamlessly within Telegram Messenger. According to TOP, The Open Network blockchain and the Telegram Messenger will be an unrivaled driver for the development of the Web3 ecosystem in the future.
The Open Platform was founded in 2023 after First Stage Labs merged with Wallet within Telegram and underwent a rebranding and corporate reorganisation. First Stage Labs has a healthy budget for the Open Platform thanks to significant contributions from its partners. TOP Labs, The Open Platform’s venture-building arm, will stick to the same approach as its forerunner, First Stage Labs.
Several TON-based firms are already part of TOP Labs’ portfolio, including the non-custodial wallet Tonkeeper, the community management tools of Open Builders, and the NFT marketplace Getgems.
Wallet and its role in the TOP ecosystem
By radically simplifying and expanding access to blockchain services, Wallet will help TOP realise its vision of putting Web3 in the pockets of people throughout the world. It says that this will promote true ownership, and spawn new economies.
Wallet was first presented as a bot within Telegram, but it has since developed into a full-fledged app and platform that makes managing digital assets as simple as sending a message. In the last few months, the Wallet team has been working fast and hard as they prepared to release some very promising new products.
“We anticipate that Wallet will propel global crypto adoption to an unprecedented level,” says Andrew Rogozov, CEO of TOP and Wallet.
In July, TON Space launched a service for merchants on Telegram, and in August, it released a beta for its future self-custodial wallet product to developers by invitation only. Over 1,000 programmers have signed up for the test since it was launched, and a full release is expected later this month.