TON Wiki Challenge
qpwe{{Short description|Blockchain network originally developed by Telegram}}
<noinclude>{{User:RMCD bot/subject notice|1=The Open Network|2=Talk:Telegram Open Network#Requested move 9 May 2023}}
</noinclude>{{Infobox software
| name = The Open Network
| other_names = TON, Telegram Open Network (former)
| logo = The open network logo.svg
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| logo size = 200
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| author = [[Nikolai Durov]], [[Pavel Durov]]
| developer = TON Foundation, [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] (no longer participation)
| released = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| discontinued = <!-- Set to yes if software is discontinued, otherwise omit. -->
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| repo = {{URL|github.com/ton-blockchain}}
| programming language = [[C++]]
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| license = [[GNU LGPL|GNU LGPL v2]]
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| website = {{URL|ton.org}}
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[[File:TON_wallet_desktop_screenshot.png|thumb|Wallet example]]
[[File:TON_wallet_seed_example.png|thumb|For access to wallets uses 24 secret words, on the basis of which calculates 256-bit [[private key]] of the wallet]]
'''<span lang="de">The</span> Open Network''' (previously '''Telegram Open Network''', both abbreviated as '''TON''') is a [[blockchain]]-based [[peer-to-peer|decentralized]] [[computer network]] technology, originally developed by the [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] team. In May 2020, Telegram withdrew from the project after litigation with the [[US Securities and Exchange Commission]].
It comprises TON Virtual Machine (TVM or TON VM).<ref>{{Cite web |title=TVM Overview {{!}} The Open Network |url=https://docs.ton.org/learn/tvm-instructions/tvm-overview |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=docs.ton.org |language=en}}</ref>
== History ==
Since the release of [[Telegram (software)|Telegram messenger]] in 2013, its CEO [[Pavel Durov]] emphasized that [[instant messenger]] will not include advertising. According to documents related to [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) v. Telegram suit (2020), by 2017, the self-funded [[startup]] needed money to pay for servers and services. Durov considered [[venture capital financing]] but decided against it until the problems are solved.<ref name=SEC-TON>{{cite web |url=https://static.reuters.com/resources/media/editorial/20200210/secvtelegram--secSJbrief.pdf |title=Plaintiff Securities and Exchange Commission's memorandum of law in support of its motion for summary judgement |date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> In the mid-December 2017 Bloomberg interview, Durov announced that Telegram would begin monetization in early 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/cryptic-russian-crusader-says-his-5-billion-app-can-t-be-bought |title=This $5 Billion Encrypted App Isn't for Sale at Any Price |author=Stepan Kravchenko, Nour Al Ali, and Ilya Khrennikov |date=11 December 2017 |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref> [[TechCrunch]] had soon confirmed that the company planned launch a [[blockchain]] project named “The Open Network” or “Telegram Open Network” (TON) and its native [[cryptocurrency]] {{Ill|Gram (cryptocurrency)|lt=Gram|ru|Gram|vertical-align=sup|quote=yes}}.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/telegram-open-network/ |title=Telegram plans multi-billion dollar ICO for chat cryptocurrency |last=Butcher |first=Mike |work=TechCrunch |access-date=12 January 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
In January 2018, a 23-page [[white paper]]<ref name=primer>{{cite web |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ucUeKg_NiR8RxNAonb8Q55jZha03WC0O/view |title=TON.pdf |website=Google Docs}}</ref> and a detailed 132-page technical paper<ref>{{cite web |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ucUeKg_NiR8RxNAonb8Q55jZha03WC0O/view |title=TON.pdf |website=Google Docs}}</ref> shed some light on the project. According to documents, the Durovs planned to attract the existing Telegram user base to TON and promote the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies, turning it into one of the largest blockchains. TON was described as a platform for decentralized apps and services akin to [[WeChat]], [[Google Play]], or [[App Store]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/telegram-open-network/ |title=Telegram plans multi-billion dollar ICO for chat cryptocurrency |author=Mike Butcher, Josh Konstine |date=January 8, 2018 |publisher=TechCrunch |access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/15/inside-telegrams-ambitious-1-2b-ico-to-create-the-next-ethereum/ |title=Inside Telegram's ambitious $1.2B ICO to create the next Ethereum |author=Jon Russel |date=January 15, 2018 |publisher=TechCrunch |access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref> or even a decentralized alternative to payment processing services of [[Visa Inc.|Visa]] and [[MasterCard]] due to its ability to scale and support millions of transactions per second.<ref name=binance>{{cite web |url=https://research.binance.com/en/analysis/telegram-open-network |title=Exploring Telegram Open Network |date=September 27, 2019 |publisher=Binance Research |access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=rbth>{{cite web |url=https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/331547-durov-vk-telegram-russia-networks |title=Telegram's Pavel Durov in court over his quest to revolutionize cryptocurrency |author=Josh Nadeau |date=January 15, 2020 |publisher=Russia Beyond The Headlines |accessdate=4 April 2020}}</ref><ref name=payspace /> The codebase for TON was created by [[Nikolai Durov]], the developer of Telegram's {{Ill|MTProto|ru|vertical-align=sup}} protocol, and Pavel became the public figure for the project.<ref name=payspace>{{cite web |url=https://payspacemagazine.com/cryptocurrency/ton-gram-how-it-started-and-why-it-ended/ |title=TON & Gram: how it started and why it ended |date=October 9, 2020 |publisher=PaySpace Magazine |access-date=5 April 2021}}</ref>
=== Gram Private Sale ===
To fund the development of the messenger and the blockchain project, Telegram attracted investments through a private Gram [[Initial coin offering|offering]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/01/09/telegram-ico-white-paper-leak|title=Here is the leaked white paper for the massive Telegram ICO|last=Mix|work=HardFork|access-date=6 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> A two-step legal scheme was employed: the Gram purchase agreement was structured as a [[future contract]] that allowed investors to receive tokens once TON is launched. As futures were only sold to [[accredited investor]]s, the offering was exempt from registration as securities under Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, on the basis that once TON was operational, Grams would have utility and would not be considered securities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/news/sec-vs-telegram-will-gram-tokens-ever-be-distributed/ |title=SEC vs. Telegram: Will Gram Tokens Ever Be Distributed? |author=Rachel McIntosh |date=October 18, 2019 |publisher=Finance Magnates |access-date=5 April 2021}}</ref> The contract was drafted by major U.S. law firm [[Skadden]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2019/08/150716-unauthorized-telegram-token-secondary-market-transferring-risk/ |title=Unauthorized Telegram Token Secondary Market Transferring Risk |author=Cali Haan |date=August 20, 2019 |publisher=Crowdfund Insider |access-date=5 April 2021}}</ref>
The offering ran in two rounds, each taking in $850 million. A Russian tech news site calculated the first round as offering 2.25 billion tokens at $0.38 each, with a minimum purchase of $20 million, and the second as offering 640 million tokens at $1.33 each, with a minimum purchase of $1 million.<ref name="cnews">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnews.ru/news/top/2018-04-02_pri_kakih_usloviyah_telegram_vernet_investoram |title=Under what conditions will Telegram return to investors the collected $ 2.55 billion|last1=Korolev |first1=Igor |date=2 April 2018 |website=CNews |language=ru |access-date=12 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="verge">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/1/17186004/telegram-presale-open-network-app-ico-cryptocurrency-ton |title=Telegram has raised a total of $1.7 billion from its two pre-ICO sales |last1=Liptak |first1=Andrew |date=1 April 2018 |website=The Verge |access-date=12 October 2018}}</ref> As of April 2018, the firm had reported raising $1.7 billion through the ongoing ICO.<ref name="shen1">{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2018/03/30/bitcoin-price-telegram-ico-presale/|title=Even as Bitcoin Languishes, Telegram Raises $1.7 Billion Ahead of Largest ICO Ever|last1=Shen|first1=Lucinda|date=31 March 2018|access-date=31 March 2018|publisher=Fortune|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032339/https://fortune.com/2018/03/30/bitcoin-price-telegram-ico-presale/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Company officials have not made any public statements regarding the ICO. As of spring 2018, the only official sources of information were the two [[Form D|Forms D]] that Telegram filed with the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2018/04/131248-telegram-files-new-form-d-with-sec-indicating-1-7-billion-will-be-raised/|title=Telegram Files New Form D with SEC Indicating $1.7 Billion will be Raised {{!}} Crowdfund Insider|date=2 April 2018|work=Crowdfund Insider|access-date=6 April 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Development ===
The development of TON took place in a completely isolated manner and was opaque for the whole time.<ref name=binance /> The launch of the test network was initially scheduled for Q2 2018 with the main network launch in Q4, but the milestones were postponed several times. The testnet was launched in January 2019 with a half a year deviation from the plan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thebell.io/en/despite-delay-durov-on-track-to-launch-his-cryptocurrency-in-march/ |title=Despite delay, Durov on track to launch his cryptocurrency in March |date=January 23, 2019 |publisher=The Bell |access-date=17 March 2021}}</ref> In May the company released the lite version of the TON blockchain network client.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://habr.com/ru/post/453714/ |title=Тестовый клиент TON (Telegram Open Network) и новый язык Fift для смарт-контрактов |language=Russian |trans-title=TON test client and FIft language for smart contracts |author=Denis Olshansky |date=27 May 2019 |publisher=Habr |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref> In September the company released the complete [[source code]] for TON nodes on [[GitHub]], making it possible to launch a full node and explore the testnet.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vedomosti.ru/technology/articles/2019/08/28/809843-telegram |title=Telegram может начать публичное тестирование своего блокчейна 1 сентября |language=Russian |trans-title=Telegram may start testing its blockchain on September 1st |date=28 August 2019 |publisher=Vedomosti |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://kod.ru/ton-blockchain-testnet-open-sep-2019/ |title=Исходный код TON Blockchain теперь доступен на GitHub |language=Russian |trans-title=TON blockchain source code now available on GitHub |author=Vladislav Voytenko |date=7 September 2019 |publisher=Kod |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref> The launch of the TON main network was scheduled for October 31.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/27/20835987/telegram-gram-cryptocurrency-coin-october-31-deadline-ico |title=Telegram will launch its Gram cryptocurrency by October 31 or bust |author=Sean Hollister |date=27 August 2019 |publisher=The Verge |access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rbc.ru/crypto/news/5ef5e4fa9a79475137834477 |title=Самолет в никуда. Весь путь развития Telegram Open Network |language=Russian |trans-title=A plane to nowhere. The history of Telegram Open Network |author=Mikhail Tetkin |date=26 June 2020 |publisher=RBC |access-date=7 June 2021}}</ref>
=== SEC vs Telegram ===
SEC had concerns about the Gram private sale and contacted Telegram shortly after, but over the 18 months of communication, the sides didn't come to an understanding.{{cn|date=August 2021}} On October 11, 2019, a couple of weeks before the planned TON launch, SEC obtained a temporary restrictive order to prevent the distribution of Grams. The regulator contended that initial Gram purchasers would be acting akin to [[underwriters]], and the resale of Grams, once distributed, would be an unregistered distribution of securities.<ref name=NYLAW>{{cite web |url=https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/-/media/files/nrf/nrfweb/knowledge-pdfs/a-telegram-to-safts-beware.pdf |title=Blockchain law. A "Telegram" to SAFTs: "Beware!" |author=Robert A. Schwinger |date=May 26, 2020 |publisher=New York Law Journal |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref>
After a lengthy legal battle between Telegram and the SEC, Judge [[P. Kevin Castel]] of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York]] agreed with the SEC's position<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cooley.com/news/insight/2020/2020-05-07-sec-v-telegram-key-takeaways-implications |title=SEC v. Telegram: Key Takeaways and Implications |website=www.cooley.com|access-date=13 May 2020}}</ref> that the sale of Grams, the distribution to initial purchasers, and the highly likely future resale should be viewed as a single "scheme" to distribute Grams to the secondary market in an unregistered security offering. The "security" at issue consisted of the whole set of contracts, expectations, and understandings around the sale and the distribution of tokens to the interested public, and not the Grams themselves. In this case, the initial purchasers acted as [[Underwriting|underwriters]] that planned to resell tokens, and not to consume them. The restrictions on Gram distribution remained in force for purchasers based in and outside U.S., as Telegram had no tools to prevent U.S. citizens from purchasing Grams on the secondary market.<ref name=JDSUPRA>{{cite web |url=https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/is-there-life-for-safts-after-the-54728/ |title=Is There Life for SAFTs After the Telegram Case? |date=July 21, 2020 |publisher=JD Supra |access-date=10 March 2021}}</ref><ref name=GreenbergTraurig>{{cite web |url=https://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2020/4/sec-v-telegram--a-groundbreaking-decision-in-cryptocurrency-enforcement |title=SEC v. Telegram: A Groundbreaking Decision in Cryptocurrency Enforcement? |author=David I. Miller, Charlie Berk |date=2020-04-01 |publisher=Greenberg Traurig |access-date=10 March 2021}}</ref><ref name=NYLAW />
Following the court's decision, the Telegram Open Network team announced that they would be unable to launch the project by the expected 30 April 2020 deadline. On 12 May 2020, [[Pavel Durov]] announced the end of Telegram's active involvement with TON.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://telegra.ph/What-Was-TON-And-Why-It-Is-Over-05-12|title=What Was TON And Why It Is Over|date=12 May 2020|work=Pavel Durov|access-date=12 May 2020|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=What Was TON And Why It Is Over|url=https://telegra.ph/What-Was-TON-And-Why-It-Is-Over-05-12|last=Durov|first=Pavel|date=2020-05-12|website=Telegraph – Pavel Durov|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> On June 11, Telegram settled with SEC [[U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission]] and agreed to return $1.22 billion as "termination amounts" in Gram purchase agreements, and pay an $18.5 million penalty to SEC. The company also agreed to notify the SEC of any plans to issue digital assets over the next three years. The judge approved the settlement on June 26. "New and innovative businesses are welcome to participate in our capital markets, but they cannot do so in violation of the registration requirements of the federal securities laws," the SEC spokesperson noted. Telegram subsequently shut down TON test network<ref>{{cite news |title=Telegram to pay SEC fine of $18.5 million and return $1.2 billion to investors as it dissolves TON |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/26/telegram-to-pay-sec-fine-of-18-5-million-and-return-1-2-billion-to-investors-as-it-dissolves-ton/|access-date=28 June 2020 |publisher=Techcrunch |date=26 June 2020}}</ref>
In 2020, Telegram repaid TON investors $770 million and converted $443 million into a one-year debt at 10% interest, raising its total liabilities to $625.7 million. On 10 March 2021, the company made the placement of 5-year bonds worth $1 billion to cover the debts it had to return by 30 April 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rbc.ru/finances/15/03/2021/604f11019a794780341309c9 |title=Telegram разместил бонды на $1 млрд. На каких условиях инвесторы рискнули вложиться во внебиржевые бумаги |language=ru |trans-title=What were the terms of Telegram's $1 billion bonds placement |author=Павел Казарновский, Владислав Скобелев, Анна Балашова |date=15 March 2021 |publisher=RBC |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| last=Schechner |first=Sam |date=2021-03-15 |title=Telegram App Is Booming but Needs Advertisers—and $700 Million Soon |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/telegram-app-is-booming-but-needs-advertisersand-700-million-soon-11615806001 |access-date=2021-03-16 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
=== Post Telegram ===
By May 2020, when Telegram's commitment to the project was unclear, other projects started to develop the technology.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ivan Sychev|date=14 January 2021|title=Free TON вырос до $200 млн и планирует дойти до $1 млрд|trans-title=Free TON capitalisation reached $200 million and aims for $1 billion|url=https://vc.ru/crypto/196575-free-ton-vyros-do-200-mln-i-planiruet-doyti-do-1-mlrd|access-date=8 June 2021|publisher=VC.ru|language=Russian}}</ref>
In December of 2021 [[Pavel Durov]] wrote:
{{Quote box
| quote = When Telegram said goodbye (https://telegra.ph/What-Was-TON-And-Why-It-Is-Over-05-12) to TON last year, I expressed the hope that future generations of developers would one day carry on with our vision of a mass-market blockchain platform.
So I was inspired to see the champions of Telegram's coding contests continue developing the open TON project, which they rebranded to Toncoin (https://t.me/toncoin).
I'm proud that the technology we created is alive and evolving. When it comes to scalability and speed, TON is still years ahead of everything else in the blockchain realm. It would have been a shame to see this project not benefitting humanity.
Unlike the original TON, Toncoin operates independently of Telegram. But I wish its team the same success. Coupled with the right go-to-market strategy, they have all they need to build something epic 💪
| author = Pavel Durov
| source = https://t.me/durov/175
}}
[https://ton.org/ Ton.org] explained:
{{Quote|text=2020-2021:
A small team of open-source developers - NewTON - dived deep into TON's codebase, architecture, and documentation. They resume active development of TON in keeping with the design detailed in TON's original documentation.|author=ton.org|title=TON roadmap|source=https://ton.org/en/roadmap}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=TON |title=TON’s roadmap |url=https://ton.org/ |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=TON |language=en}}</ref>
Launched on May 7, 2020,<ref name="underrated" /> {{ill|Free TON|lt=|ru|Free_TON|vertical-align=sub|quote=yes}} is another project to continue development of Telegram Open Network technology using the source code freely available under [[GNU GPL]].<ref>{{cite web |title=ton/ton-blockchain|url=https://github.com/ton-blockchain/ton |access-date=8 June 2021 |publisher=GitHub}}</ref> By January 2021, the community of the project reached 30,000 people.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vc.ru/crypto/196575-free-ton-vyros-do-200-mln-i-planiruet-doyti-do-1-mlrd |title=Free TON вырос до $200 млн и планирует дойти до $1 млрд |language=Russian |trans-title=Free TON capitalisation reached $200 million and aims for $1 billion |author=Ivan Sychev |date=14 January 2021 |publisher=VC.ru |access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref> Free TON's token titled "TON Crystal" or just "TON" is distributed as a reward for contributions to the network.<ref>{{cite web |author=Vladislav Skobelev, Anastasia Skrinnikova |date=7 May 2020 |title=Блокчейн-платформу TON запустили без Павла Дурова и Telegram. Но без аудитории мессенджера проект рискует остаться нишевым|trans-title=TON blockchain was launched without Pavel Durov and Telegram. But without Telegram users it risks to remain a niche product |url=https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/07/05/2020/5eb3f1429a79470728554a3f |access-date=7 June 2021 |publisher=RBC |language=Russian}}</ref> Of five billion tokens issued at the moment of launch, 85% were reserved for users, 5% for validators, and 10% for the developers (including 5% dedicated for TON Labs, the developer of TON OS [[middleware]] for TON blockchain, which is the essential part of Free TON).<ref>{{cite web |author=Elyas Kasmi|date=8 May 2020 |title=Основателя Telegram не взяли в его собственный блокчейн-проект |trans-title=Telegram founder wasn't accepted into his own blockchain project |url=https://www.cnews.ru/news/top/2020-05-08_durova_ne_vzyali_v_ego_sobstvennyj|access-date=7 June 2021 |publisher=CNews |language=Russian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Mikhail Kabanov |date=22 May 2021 |title=TON: каким стал один из самых громких блокчейн-проектов без Дурова |trans-title=TON: What one of the most famous blockchain projects became without Pavel Durov |url=https://www.rbc.ru/crypto/news/60a92b5e9a7947e7587625aa |access-date=30 May 2021 |publisher=RBC |lang=ru}}</ref><ref name="underrated">{{cite web |date=20 May 2021 |title=Недооцененный блокчейн: как разработчики платформы TON запустили ее под другим названием и привлекли $6 млн |trans-title=Underrated blockchain: how the developers of TON launched it under the other name and raised $6 million |url=https://www.forbes.ru/tehnologii/429683-nedoocenennyy-blokcheyn-kak-razrabotchiki-platformy-ton-zapustili-ee-pod-drugim |access-date=30 May 2021 |work=Forbes |lang=ru}}</ref> In 2021 it was rebranded to {{Ill|Everscale|ru|vertical-align=sup}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Everscale: a rebranding history 🔥 |url=https://everkit.org/en/articles/everscale-a-rebranding-history |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=EverKit |language=en}}</ref>
== Design ==
=== Toncoin ===
Toncoin (TON) is the principal cryptocurrency of the TON Blockchain, specifically for its masterchain and basic workchain. It is used for deposits needed to become a validator, transaction fees, gas payments (i.e., fees for processing smart-contract messages), and payments for persistent storage, all of which are usually collected in TON. Toncoin is represented in the network as a non-negative integer, this being the account's TON balance denominated in nanotons (10^9 nanotons = 1 TON).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Open Network Whitepaper |url=https://ton.org/whitepaper.pdf |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=EverKit |language=en}}</ref>
=== Mining ===
Toncoin's distribution process was unique, as it was implemented through [[Proof of work]] Givers, which were essentially smart contracts with a designated amount of Toncoin assigned to them. The mining period for Toncoin was launched in June 2020 when the vast majority of Toncoin tokens, precisely 98.55% of the total supply, were made available for mining. These tokens were placed in specialized Giver smart contracts, thereby allowing anyone to participate in the mining process.
On a daily basis, users were able to mine approximately 200,000 TON. This process of initial distribution continued up until June 28, 2022. Two years after the beginning of this mining period, the last Toncoin was successfully mined, signaling the conclusion of TON’s initial distribution. As of today, Toncoin mining has officially ended.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Mining |url=https://ton.org/en/mining |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=EverKit |language=en}}</ref>
== Comparative Analysis ==
TON Blockchain, in its operational characteristics, contrasts sharply with several prominent blockchains, most notably [[Solana (blockchain platform)|Solana]] and [[Ethereum]]. This differentiation is primarily discerned in aspects of performance, versatility, and architectural design.
'''Block Time and Finalization''': TON Blockchain operates with an approximate block generation time of 5 seconds across each shardchain and the masterchain. The alacrity of block generation results in a significant reduction in transaction and smart contract execution times, enhancing the overall operational efficiency of the system.
'''Performance''': As a Turing-complete, high-performance blockchain, TON is capable of supporting transactions of varying complexities on its masterchain as well as on all workchains. TON's remarkable transaction processing capacity, coupled with its ability to handle a wide range of smart contracts, sets it apart in terms of performance.
'''Scalability''': TON's scalability is primarily derived from its robust support for workchains and dynamic sharding. With the potential to accommodate up to 2^32 workchains and subdivide each into up to 260 shardchains, TON exhibits a high degree of scalability. Additionally, its ability to handle cross-shard and cross-chain communication nearly instantaneously enables it to manage millions of transactions per second.
As of 2023, TON maintains its standing as one of the few truly scalable blockchain projects. Demonstrating capabilities to process millions, and potentially tens of millions, of true Turing-complete smart contract transactions per second, TON's technological infrastructure stands out as one of the most advanced in the blockchain space.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ton.org/en/analysis |title=TON, Solana, and Ethereum Analysis|access-date=2023-05-20 |publisher=TON}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Cryptocurrencies}}
[[Category:Blockchains]]
[[Category:Cryptocurrencies]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C++]]