TON: Opportunities for Developers and Startups

TON: Opportunities for Developers and Startups
Photo by Marvin Meyer / Unsplash

Blockchain TON and Its Advantages

In the world of crypto and technology, TON stands out with its features that give developers creative freedom and the ability to change the game in the digital environment. What makes TON such a magnet for those who want to create something new and cool?

  • Scalability and Speed

At its core, TON boasts exceptional scalability. The platform handles millions of transactions per second, allowing developers to build applications without fear of lags or performance issues.

  • Economical Transactions

TON focuses on cost-efficiency. With low transaction fees, developers can experiment with micropayments, opening doors to new business models and payment structures. This affordability fosters the development of a wide range of applications, from microservices to large-scale platforms.

  • Powerful Smart Contracts

With TON's smart contracts, almost anything can be automated, making complex agreements simple and autonomous. It’s like having a robot assistant that doesn’t sleep or eat but works non-stop. Convenient, isn’t it?

  • Tools and Libraries

TON offers everything needed for convenient development: SDKs, APIs, and documentation. It's like a complete toolbox for a builder - developers have everything they need here.

  • Interoperability and Integration

TON plays well with other blockchains, allowing for the creation of hybrid applications. For developers, this means the freedom to choose the best tools and features from different platforms, enhancing the functionality and user experience of their applications.

  • Community and Collaboration

The TON community is your backstage pass to the technology concert. Here, you can learn, share experiences, and work on joint projects. It’s like a club of interests where every contribution can change the world.

  • Grant System

Startups aiming to integrate with Telegram Web Apps and planning to join the TON ecosystem have a chance for a financial boost. Newcomers without a finished product can receive up to $10,000 in TON. Those who have already gained an audience on another blockchain platform and are ready to switch to TON can get up to $50,000. Individual developers can also participate in the bounty program, where they can earn up to $5,000 for completing certain tasks, such as writing a smart contract.

Main Components of TON

Let's break down the main components of TON and their functions in this ecosystem.

TON Blockchain

This is the foundation of the entire system, recording every transaction and event in the network, ensuring data reliability and security.

TON Self-Healing Mechanism

This mechanism allows automatic error correction by creating new blocks instead of invalid ones, preventing network splits and saving resources.

TON DNS

This component assigns understandable names to accounts and services, making the infrastructure more accessible and user-friendly.

TON Proxy

The proxy acts as a link between users and smart contracts, facilitating interaction and ensuring secure transmission of requests.

TON Payments

This is an embedded payment system for quick transactions between users, bots, and services within the TON network.

TON Storage

The component is responsible for data storage, ensuring its security and accessibility in a decentralized manner.

TON Services

This is a set of various services and functions within the ecosystem, providing users with diverse opportunities, from asset management to messaging.

TON is designed to offer a powerful and multifunctional platform that supports the development and implementation of new technologies in the digital space.

Development Tools in the TON Ecosystem

SDKs (Software Development Kits) for various programming languages, providing different ways to connect to the blockchain:

  • TypeScript/JavaScript (ton, tonweb, tonkite/adnl, tonutils, foton)
  • Java (ton4j)
  • Python (pytoniq, pytoniq-core, pytonlib, mytonlib, TonTools, tonpy, tvm_valuetypes, pytvm)
  • C# (TonSdk.NET, justdmitry/TonLib.NET)
  • Rust (tonlib-rs, getgems-io/ton-grpc)
  • Go (tonutils-go, tongo, tonlib-go)
  • And others

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are key elements for safe, convenient, and fast development of useful applications on TON.

  • TON HTTP API - API that allows working with indexed blockchain information.
  • TON ADNL API - secure API for interacting with TON, based on the ADNL protocol.

API Toncenter (TON Index and toncenter/v2)

Third-party APIs (tonapi.io, dton.io, ton-api-v4, docs.nftscan.com, evercloud.dev, everspace.center)

Testnet for Development and Testing

For convenience, almost the entire infrastructure of the main network has been recreated in the test network. Here are the services available to you:

TON Unfreezer

Smart contracts in TON pay "rent" - the space they occupy on the server. If the funds for "rent" run out and there's nothing to pay with, the contract "hibernates," minimizing its activity. To "wake up" such a contract, you need to restore its last active state. This tool automatically retrieves the necessary data, compiles, and sends a message to get your contract working again.

Examples of Successful Projects

  • Dyor.io

Dyor.io is a platform that helps users conduct their own research on the TON blockchain and reduce the risk of encountering scams. The goal of DYOR is to provide convenient analytics that help users make informed decisions based on data. This platform analyzes all TON assets in real-time and presents important information in a clear and understandable format. Here are some features offered by the platform:

  • DYOR Minter: Your personal tool for creating and managing tokens. Open new opportunities for the development of your projects and communities using a user-friendly interface.
  • DYOR Presale: Simplify the launch and promotion of new projects with tools for conducting token presales and attracting investments.
  • DYOR Trust Score: Enhance the accuracy of your research. This feature is based on semantic analysis of on-chain data and is supported by a machine learning model using regression algorithms.
  • Frame View: Reduce the time needed to analyze tokens. This feature adds mobility and accessibility to your research process.

The DYOR team does not intend to stop there and will continue to expand the range of possibilities for interacting with cryptocurrency data.

Additionally, the project has its own token - DYOR Coin. It plays a key role in interacting with various ecosystem products, providing users with a wide range of unique opportunities for working with blockchain and analytics, as well as offering the chance to invest in the platform.

REDO originated from the "Resistance Dog," created by Pavel Durov during the protests against the Telegram ban in 2018. After a major crash, the original developer left the project, but a small group of friends and traders saw potential in REDO, leading to the token's revival. The popularity of $REDO grew without any financial investment in marketing, as Telegram had already created a base for the token, and the REDO community (they call themselves "Resistance") provides enormous support for the project. This connection helped the project become one of the most recognizable memecoins in the TON ecosystem and also enter the Open League.

$HYDRA is a token on the TON blockchain that redefines the concept of decentralized finance. Designed for farming through liquidity on the DeDust.io platform, $HYDRA offers investors stable income and confidence in asset reliability. $HYDRA is built for long-term development with active community participation through a DAO, where everyone can influence decisions. Transparency and community involvement are maintained through regular meetings and discussions. With a focus on long-term sustainability and growth, $HYDRA not only supports active participant engagement but also ensures their involvement in project management.

Mittens is a memecoin inspired by Telegram's cat. Despite being initially launched by an anonymous developer who sold all the team's tokens and left the project, the community of fans of this black cat not only remained loyal to the ideas but also relaunched the project, forming a new team from the most active participants and supporters. The token is already listed on several platforms and has even become a favorite in the Open League. The team intends to actively participate in the development of the TON ecosystem and plans to create TMA - MiTask.

Notcoin is the game coin of the eponymous clicker game in Telegram. This project can be considered a pioneer of games of this concept, gathering a huge community and attracting many new users both to Telegram and the crypto world in general. Notcoin is so far the only one that conducted a listing and converted internal coins into cryptocurrency. Despite numerous ups and downs, the token has tripled in value since its initial listing. Recently, 210,000,000 notcoins ($3,000,000) were burned as a result of an emission, now the tokens are distributed as follows: $4.2 million will be used as rewards for Notcoin Explore users of Gold and Platinum levels; 94.18% is held by 11.5 million people, including traders, miners, stakers, etc.; 5.82% will go towards the project's development in the coming years.

How Startups Can Enter the TON Ecosystem

  • Studying Information and Documentation

On the TON website, you will find all the necessary guides and instructions with easy navigation. This is the first step to understanding how you can use the development tools to create your own application on this blockchain.

  • Community Participation

Become part of the dynamic TON developer community. Chat in forums, share ideas, get valuable advice from professionals, and find partners for joint projects. Together you can achieve more!

  • Seeking Funding

Explore funding opportunities through TON startup programs, participate in hackathons and contests. These platforms provide not only capital but also expert support, which can be crucial for your project.

  • Developing dApps and Services

Create innovative and useful applications that attract users to the TON ecosystem. Integrate existing tools and services to enhance the functionality and convenience of your products.