Key Highlights
TEN founders admit to communication failures during the token launch.
FUSE rollout and weekly roadmap updates will begin in the coming weeks.
Community analysts flag a steep price drop and compare $TEN to prior failures.
The $TEN token crashed on launch, plunging sharply and triggering immediate backlash from the community.TEN Protocol, an Ethereum-based (ETH) privacy project backed by major investors, was forced to apologize after the Day 1 rollout, admitting to communication failures and promising structural fixes.
The steep drop intensified doubts about the project’s readiness, even as the team positions TEN as a TEE-based privacy layer with new staking mechanics ahead of mainnet.
What went wrong
According to the founders, the team changed the airdrop claiming process too late and failed to warn users about gas fees. Silence during the launch created uncertainty, prompting some holders to question the team’s integrity.
Yesterday was Day 1 for TEN. We made mistakes, and we owe you an apology.We’re here for the long haul, and it’s important we start by owning where we fell short.We made serious mistakes around communication during TEN’s token launch. That’s on us.Here’s what went wrongWe…— TEN (🔟/🔟) (@tenprotocol) November 28, 2025
Public outrage
Analysts on X noted the swift -80% drawdown within minutes of listing, calling it one of the sharpest early declines of the year. Commentary likened the event to recent failures such as KINTO.
What’s with the $TEN going around the TL, is it worse than $KINTO ? 😳From what I noticed; TEN is a Privacy token on the Ethereun Network based on TEE. – It claims to be an Anti-rug token which uses a tech called the FUSE model with plans to fix the normal VC dump model but… pic.twitter.com/b6QukzE0Fv— 〽️ᄃﾑt 🐾 (@mztacat) November 28, 2025
Critics argued the launch contradicted TEN’s promise of being “anti-rug,” with some investors unable to sell during the crash. Analysts cautioned that platforms can’t be blamed for a project’s fundamentals, urging users to apply due diligence.
Ecosystem moves
The scrutiny comes as the TON ecosystem gains global attention. In late October, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov unveiled Cocoon, a decentralized AI compute network built on TON. The platform is designed to allow GPU owners to earn tokens while developers tap low-cost compute, a major shift in TON’s roadmap.
Telegram plans to integrate Cocoon into its mini-app ecosystem, aligning TON with the rising demand for AI + blockchain infrastructure.
Apology statement
The apology stated that intentions don’t excuse impact, noting that the team was “hesitant when it should have been proactive,” creating confusion at a critical moment.
Gavin Thomas, TEN Protocol co-founder, noted on X:
I want to speak directly to everyone following today’s events. It’s been an extremely difficult 2 days, both personally and professionally. I’ve spent the last 5 years building TEN because I genuinely believe Ethereum needs encryption – and that belief hasn’t changed.I know… pic.twitter.com/3MECqUVXYd— Gavin Thomas (🔟/🔟) (@Gavin_Chain) November 28, 2025
Still, the next few weeks will be critical. Investors will watch whether TEN improves transparency, stabilizes its launch environment, and delivers on FUSE and mainnet milestones without further missteps.
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