Telegram released the code for node operators on its TON network, which is still in testnet mode. Currently, most nodes on the network are provided and controlled by Telegram itself, but the project prepares for the full launch where the nodes will be available to the public. A block explorer is also available for the currently running testnet.
The TON blockchain and series of nodes is one of the most ambitious blockchain and distributed computing projects. The network will include a form of sharding, a feat yet to be achieved by the older Ethereum network.
The TON ecosystem will, in fact, include elements of almost all current achievements, including payment channels similar to Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, and peer-to-peer connections. Per the white paper, the network will be capable of carrying millions of transactions per second, if necessary.
https://twitter.com/TON_TelegramON/status/1170973576519831554
The development of Telegram’s project took more than a year after the completion of the ICO, and was done in secrecy.
Currently, most Telegram backers have to wait to unlock their Gram (TON) tokens. A small-scale sale of tokens took place on the Liquid exchange, where the price reached $4. Now, another post-ICO sale of tokens is happening, at a serious discount. This time, the seller is DigiFinex.
The exchange operator has entered an agreement with one of the early Telegram ICO backers, to place 500,000 Gram tokens. The tokens themselves are inactive, but buying now would give small-scale investors a chance to own a position in advance. The TON asset will appear after October 31. Buying Gram now is extremely risky, as there is no actual underlying asset existing.
The Telegram ICO relied mostly on private placements to raise nearly $1.7 billions’ equivalent. The public token sale was dismissed as the US Securities and Exchange Commission warned that the asset may be considered an unregistered security. The launch of the Telegram token will be one of the first digital assets placed by a mainstream service. The unlocking of TON will arrive months before Facebook manages to launch its Libra token.
