TON Blockchain: Innovative Design for High Concurrency and High Scalability

TON is a decentralized computing network that includes an L1 Blockchain and multiple components. It was originally developed by the Telegram team and is now supported and maintained by a global community of independent contributors. The original design of TON was to meet the needs of Telegram's large user base, as there was no existing L1 Blockchain at the time capable of supporting such a large-scale application.

In 2017, the Telegram team began exploring blockchain solutions and decided to design their own blockchain. In 2018, they launched a token sale. However, in 2020, due to regulatory issues, the Telegram team withdrew from the project. Subsequently, a group of open-source developers took over the codebase, renamed the project to The Open Network, and continued to advance its development.

The main challenge faced by TON is how to handle high concurrent requests and massive amounts of data. Even some blockchains that currently claim to have the highest TPS only achieve a maximum TPS of around 65,000, which is far from sufficient to support the demand for millions of TPS. Furthermore, as the scale of applications expands, the amount of data generated is enormous, making the traditional blockchain approach of requiring every node to store complete data impractical.

To solve these problems, TON has innovated mainstream blockchain protocols:

1. Using the "infinite sharding paradigm" to design the system, solve the data redundancy problem, able to support big data, and alleviate performance bottlenecks.

2. Introduce a fully parallel execution environment based on the Actor model, significantly improving network TPS.

3. Implement a multi-layer chain structure, including account chain, shard chain, work chain, and main chain, to optimize data processing and verification processes.

The main features of the TON network include dynamic sharding, high scalability, and adaptability. It can automatically split and merge shard chains to accommodate changes in load, theoretically supporting an almost unlimited number of shards. The network can dynamically adjust the number of shards based on load conditions, enhancing overall efficiency.

To solve the cross-chain communication problem, TON adopts the "Hypercube Routing Algorithm", ensuring that messages are transmitted along the shortest path. At the same time, it also proposes an optimistic technical solution that allows users to provide valid proof of routing paths, improving communication efficiency.

In terms of consensus mechanism, TON adopts the BFT+PoS method. Any staker has the opportunity to participate in block packaging, and the system periodically randomly selects a validator cluster from all stakers. The selected validators package blocks using the BFT algorithm, with well-performing validators receiving rewards, while malicious ones are punished.

Another innovation of TON is the smart contracts based on the Actor model and a fully parallel execution environment. This design allows smart contracts to execute independently, without relying on external data, thus enabling parallel processing of messages and significantly enhancing system performance.

In 2024, TON attracted a lot of attention due to its unique design concept and high performance. The price of its native token rose from about $2.72 to $4.38 in a short period, with its market cap growing from $9.5 billion to $15.5 billion. As of April 2024, the total locked value of TON is close to $450 million, demonstrating the strong appeal of its ecosystem.

The main reason for the price surge is the further integration of the TON blockchain into the operations of a certain instant messaging platform. The platform announced that channel owners would receive advertising revenue through TON's native token, which adds significant utility to the token. In addition, this token is also used to purchase platform advertisements, usernames and numbers, subscribe to premium services, and for channel giveaway activities.

TON's innovative design and deep integration with major social platforms have given it a unique position in the blockchain field, laying a solid foundation for future development.