The Open Network

Toncoin (TON) is a decentralized [layer-1 blockchain](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary) developed in 2018 by the encrypted messaging platform Telegram. The project was then abandoned, taken over by the TON Foundation, and renamed from "Telegram Open Network" to "The Open Network". Since 2020, the technology has been developing thanks to a non-commercial group of supporters and an independent community of enthusiasts who called themselves the TON Foundation. Toncoin, formerly known as Gram, is the native cryptocurrency of the TON network. The original idea was to integrate TON into an easy-to-use application that allows users to buy/send/store funds. Clients pay transaction fees and use TON to settle payments or validate transactions. Toncoin utilizes the [proof-of-stake](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/proof-of-stake-pos) (PoS) consensus model for network scalability and reliability. According to the project website, the platform provides its customers with fast, transparent and secure payment services, facilitating transactions with minimal fees and third-party applications. The developers’ mission is to build a full-fledged ecosystem with decentralized storage, decentralized services, a domain name system (DNS equivalent), an anonymous network, an instant payment platform, and affordable/fast transaction processing. The Open Network is a community-driven blockchain with a flexible architecture and focus on serving a typical consumer. TON stands out due to the fast processing/validation of [transactions per second](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/transactions-per-second) (TPS). In September 2021, the network processed a then-world record of 55,000 TPS during a contest, although the current TPS could be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. This feature allows the project to grow rapidly while avoiding performance losses. At the same time, the project does not harm the environment.