TON is a pure hype thing. It is yet another layer 1 that the market didn't need, but the greedy founders decided to abuse their chat messengers position to push another junk chain onto retail.
TON network indeed is pure hype, but new development is always welcomed in the industry. Much competition means every other chain will also have to stay active and know that they have a rival. Maybe layer 2 out there is not necessarily needed, but the developers still come up with it because they need to present something that can give them money. It's no longer about solving problems again; it's about presenting something you can convince the community that they need and make money out of them.