Telegram (for their flagship messaging application, see official FAQ, wikipedia and Telegram Primer pdf 2017 ‘whitepaper’, 23 pages, copy; the messaging app is open source, unlike WhatsApp) is developing Telegram Open Network (TON) (see list.wiki and wikipedia.ru), centered around a new generation (and high performance) blockchain project. TON is envisioned to support for decentralised applications and smart contracts, distributed file-storage service (TON Storage), micropayments, a proxy service (TON proxy) and TON DNS. TON had large private ICO for large investors in early 2018 and is supposed to be fully operational in Q4 2019. According to press (kod.ru, zfr.su, cryptor.net, beincrypto, kryptonews, other), TON testnet has started, with access only to limited parties, on April 11, 2019; more comprehensive analyses of events are
Now a light client for the testnet is available, see archive of files and how to deploy smart contracts. It is written in C++14, the installation requires also Perl5 and openssl including libraries.
TON blockchain’s native cryptocurrency is called Gram. The underlying blockchain protocol supports a number of innovative ideas helping scaling, including notably infinite sharding paradigm and instant hypercube routing. By default it employs a new virtual machine (TON VM), supporting algebraic types; this is used in “workchain 0”, but other workchains can in principle use their own VMs (and transaction format) if their formal specification is registered and uploaded to the mainnet. TON has upgradeable formal blockchain specifications and support for off-chain payment networks.
The whole thing will run on protocols used already by Telegram and use similar specs:
It will use Telegram Passport.
Telegram is introducing a new feature called Passport, a single sign-on option for services that need actual real-world IDs or documents. Passport will let users store their files and data in Telegram’s cloud and pass it directly on to services that need that information (via Neowin).
See also digital identity.
According to a press release pdf (accompanying event of partnership with Wirecard),
TON Labs is a core infrastructure and ecosystem developer for TON (Telegram Open Network). Its secure and accessible TON.Dev and TON.Space environments will deliver a TON full node implementation, a versatile toolchain and a cutting-edge SDK, as well as novel ways users interact with fintech services. It will enable the developer community to create, deploy, distribute and manage TON chains for consumer and enterprise applications.
According to other press, TON Labs developes their tools using technical documentation which Telegram distributed to their investors in Autumn 2019, but may also have other insider information making pre-release development effective.
As SEC has shut down the project, the former testnet is developed by the community with crypto toncoin and there is also another version of the software, freeton project with its own crypto.
Last revised on August 20, 2022 at 15:02:57. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.