Interview questions with Andrei Fedorov (CMO and CBDO) STON.fi developer
On this unique interview with Andrey Fedorov, CMO and CBDO of STON.fi Dev, we focus on how one among TON’s high earners is defining its subsequent development technique. Talking in Hong Kong at a vital time for the worldwide Web3 neighborhood, Andrey shared insights on how ecosystem enlargement, cross-chain methods, infrastructure partnerships, and developer-centric innovation play a key position in driving real-world adoption. From navigating main business occasions to establishing sustainable liquidity and distribution channels, this dialogue exhibits how STON.fi is on the epicenter of TON’s Web3 transformation.
1. Hong Kong has turn out to be an essential hub for the world’s Web3 builders and capital. With Consensus Season and Hack Season taking place in fast succession, why was it essential for STON.fi to take part in each occasions this 12 months and what does this second say in regards to the bigger path of the TON ecosystem and your position inside it?
For STON.fi, being in Hong Kong this 12 months means being within the dialog. STON.fi, one among TON’s core DeFi protocols, doesn’t need to have a look at the market from a distance. It desires to speak to individuals, hear what they assume, and see how issues are working.
Consensus and hack seasons give very totally different indicators. At Consensus, we’re speaking to key business gamers and ecosystem groups – the people who find themselves fascinated by how the business as a complete works and the place development will occur subsequent. Hack Seasons is extra hands-on. You sit down with the builder, have a look at the precise product, and listen to what breaks and what slows them down. Whenever you mix each, you start to see how TON suits into the broader image. And infrequently, we’re those who clarify the entire story.
TON as an ecosystem has grown considerably. By Telegram, our merchandise have already reached thousands and thousands of customers, creating a powerful liquidity base throughout the ecosystem. With this, STON.fi enters a brand new part. It isn’t nearly constructing extra on TON. is to open it.
As a core expertise contributor, we’re actively engaged on cross-chain options. This can assist STON.fi begin connecting with its first companions and can quickly be working with them. The objective of the venture is easy. The concept is to make the most of the liquidity and distribution that TON already has, join it to different ecosystems, and recuperate worth in each instructions. We’re not dashing it, however we really feel the ecosystem is prepared. And we need to assist make these connections occur.
2. STON.fi is understood for its strategic method to partnerships and ecosystem development. What requirements do you imagine in as a core developer as a CMO and CBDO? STON.fi How do you steadiness strategic worth and scalable supply impression together with your priorities when evaluating potential companions?
First, I don’t imagine that the impression and strategic worth of scalable distribution are opposing forces. We’re working with STON.fi to construct the infrastructure and scalable distribution is strategic in that context.
STON.fi normally begins with very sensible questions. Is that this partnership fixing an actual drawback for builders or customers proper now? If not, it is most likely not price doing.
Generally, groups come to STON.fi as a result of they want liquidity and a well-functioning swap infrastructure. They do not need to construct the routing, execution, and liquidity administration themselves. They need to plug in and depend on it and concentrate on their product and their viewers. Due to this fact, the very first thing STON.fi considers is whether or not the infrastructure truly suits their use case and whether or not it may be built-in and shipped with out friction.
From there, STON.fi thinks about scale. Will this setup work even when quantity will increase, visitors spikes, or goes cross-chain? Partnerships should not be fragile. Issues that solely work in a small atmosphere normally do not final lengthy.
Distribution naturally arises from there. When your workforce makes use of infrastructure as a part of their core product, you turn out to be a part of their stack. That’s the strongest type of partnership.
In some circumstances, this additionally opens up new entry factors into the ecosystem. Our collaboration with Privy is a good instance of this. They’re working with a workforce to construct an app with a built-in pockets, and by connecting Omniston beneath it, you’ll be able to add swaps to TON in minutes with out constructing any customized infrastructure. It is the identical logic, one step nearer to the builder’s work, and helps convey extra groups and customers into TON in a smoother means.
In any case, STON.fi doesn’t differentiate between technique and utilization. If the infrastructure is beneficial, it is going to be utilized. All the things else is derived from there.
3. STON.fi has supported dozens of TON native tasks by way of grants and ecosystem packages. Why is constructing an ecosystem central to your long-term technique?
For STON.fi, constructing an ecosystem shouldn’t be one thing particular, however a means during which the infrastructure is definitely improved.
You may construct the very best liquidity or swap layer on the earth, but when you do not have sufficient bodily items to make use of it, it would not matter. TON works as a result of builders ship issues that individuals truly use: wallets, apps, video games, funds inside Telegram, and so forth. Supporting these groups early will assist the entire system transfer sooner.
Grants and ecosystem packages are sensible instruments. These assist groups refine their concepts into working merchandise with out sticking to the fundamentals. And for us, it is also a means of studying. When dozens of groups construct in your infrastructure, you rapidly study what works, what would not work, and what must be improved.
In the long term, this creates a suggestions loop. Extra groups will probably be constructed. Will increase liquidity. Infrastructure will probably be improved. This makes the ecosystem extra engaging to incoming builders. STON.fi’s position is to not management the loop, however to maintain it operating by supporting it in a helpful and sustainable means.
4. What position do you see STON.fi enjoying throughout the broader Web3 ecosystem this 12 months, particularly when it comes to driving adoption by way of enterprise growth and collaboration?
This 12 months, we see our position as very targeted, and it sits between the builder and the tip consumer.
On the one hand, STON.fi works with groups that require dependable swap and liquidity infrastructure. Alternatively, all the pieces STON.fi affords in the end impacts the individuals utilizing the TON app, typically with out realizing that there’s a DeFi infrastructure beneath. It is an essential steadiness for a venture.
On the product aspect, the workforce is engaged on a number of upgrades aimed toward enhancing each integration high quality and consumer expertise. Later this 12 months, we plan to roll out protocol upgrades and new APIs with centralized liquidity. This could assist companions construct sooner and in addition enhance efficiency and reliability for customers on the finish of the chain. These modifications are largely invisible, however turn out to be important as soon as actual visitors is available in.
STON.fi Dev can be steadily creating cross-chain performance. The present focus is on early integration and testing between TON and TRON, beginning with a closed alpha, adopted by a public beta. From a consumer’s perspective, the objective is easy. It is about offering clean entry to liquidity throughout the ecosystem with out complicating the expertise.
Among the different options in growth are primarily for superior use circumstances, but in addition serve to make pricing, execution, and liquidity extra constant for customers.
So once we discuss collaborative adoption, it is not nearly elevated integration. It is about ensuring swaps are fast, costs are honest, and all the pieces works because it ought to when a consumer opens the TON app. If customers do not have to consider infrastructure, that is normally an indication we’re doing our job proper.
5. Wanting forward, what key partnerships and enterprise methods are STON.fi most enthusiastic about in 2026 and the way do you anticipate these to form the venture’s supply roadmap?
Looking forward to 2026, STON.fi is concentrated on partnerships that immediately form how our infrastructure is used.
One space is wallets and user-facing apps, each in TON and different ecosystems. Telegram gives highly effective distribution for TON, however STON.fi’s objectives are broader than that. We wish groups exterior of TON to have the ability to make the most of our liquidity and swap infrastructure when it is sensible for his or her merchandise.
One other key focus is cross-chain. STON.fi Dev is at present actively creating this and plans to work extra intently with a small variety of expertise companions in 2026 to convey Omniston into actual cross-ecosystem settings. The precedence is high quality over pace. Confirm that the combination works in manufacturing earlier than increasing additional.
STON.fi additionally deepens its relationships with skilled liquidity suppliers and forward-thinking integrators. Options like centralized liquidity and associate instruments are constructed with them in thoughts, however in the end enhance pricing and execution for finish customers.
Total, STON.fi’s technique is easy. It is about constructing infrastructure that different groups truly need to use, irrespective of the place their customers are. For those who get it proper, distribution turns into an final result, not a objective.
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