The Open Network Year in Review: 2023

This Year in Review chronicles TON’s remarkable progress in 2023, highlighting the key events that have shaped the ecosystem. From launching services like TON Storage to setting a World Blockchain Speed Record, TON’s 2023 journey, marked by developments like the TON Believers Fund and partnerships with tech giants like Amazon Web Services and Animoca Brands, showcases the community’s relentless resolve to put crypto in every pocket.

Each and every month of 2023 brought on new milestones as the community continued to build a robust, interconnected, and user-friendly blockchain environment for Telegram’s 800 million users. The top 3 achievements of TON in 2023 are:

• Setting the World Blockchain Speed Record: TON officially became the world’s fastest blockchain after processing an astounding 104,715 transactions per second during a public performance test, confirmed by Certik. This surpasses all existing blockchain networks and centralized payment systems like Visa and Mastercard.

• Integration with Telegram: TON’s new collaboration with Telegram and its commitment to developing a Web3 SuperApp are the most significant steps towards Web3 mass adoption in our industry’s history. As part of this integration, TON Space was launched on Telegram as the platform’s first-ever self-custodial crypto wallet, combining non-custodial security with Telegram’s accessible interface. This new partnership is set to seamlessly integrate blockchain technology into the everyday digital activities of Telegram’s extensive user base, marking a new era of blockchain accessibility and utility.

• The Gateway in Dubai: TON Community’s first-ever in-person conference, The Gateway, represented a significant milestone for the ecosystem. This event brought together key projects within the TON Ecosystem, highlighting the community’s dedication to supporting Web3 builders in TON. Additionally, the event showcased the community’s role in driving the new TON-Telegram collaboration and advancing their joint initiatives in the blockchain space.

January

• TON DNS update: TON’s Domain Name System (DNS) received a major update, improving its performance and reliability with a view to mass adoption. Learn more
• SlowMist audit: TON successfully passed a SlowMist audit, with no issues or vulnerabilities found. Learn more

February

• Hack-aTONxDoraHacks: TON partnered with DoraHacks to launch a hackathon series with a $300K prize pool, attracting 223 projects across 14 global offline meetups. Learn more
• Fanzee introduces jetton staking: Fanzee became the first ecosystem project to introduce jetton staking on TON. Learn more
• TON Community votes to freeze old mining wallets: The community voted to freeze old mining wallets to optimize tokenomics and ensure network security. Learn more
• GAGARIN launches decentralized token staking on TON: GAGARIN introduced decentralized token staking for TON users. Learn more

March

• The TON & Co. YouTube channel relaunches: The TON & Co. YouTube channel was restarted and is now one of the leading sources of educational content about TON. Learn more
• Megaton Finance secures $1.5 million seed funding: Megaton Finance successfully secured $1.5 million in seed funding to support TON DeFi development. Learn more
• TON App update: TON App received a major update to enhance its functionality and usability. Learn more
• Wallet in Telegram introduces support for USDT: Wallet in Telegram began to support Tether TRC-20 and received an updated interface for improved usability. Learn more
• Bitfinex lists Toncoin (TON): Toncoin was listed on Bitfinex, a leading cryptocurrency exchange. Learn More
• TON Wallet Challenge: The TON Wallet Challenge was launched, offering a $60,000 prize pool for developers to create new wallet solutions on TON. Learn more
• Telegram Premium starts to accept payment in Toncoin: Telegram Premium began accepting Toncoin as payment on Fragment. Learn more

April

• Unlimited ERC-20 Token Bridge: TON introduced the first unlimited bridge for ERC-20 tokens, improving interoperability between TON and Ethereum. Learn more
• Ton.org website update: Ton.org received a significant update and is now a leading source of information about the TON Ecosystem. Learn more

May

• Trust Wallet integration: Trust Wallet, a leading self-custody wallet, introduced support for TON and TON-based assets. Learn more
• Chanalysis collaboration: TON began collaborating with Chanalysis to enhance crypto incident response capabilities. Learn more
• AltcoinBuzz feature: Toncoin (TON) was featured on the AltcoinBuzz YouTube channel. Learn more
• TON Wiki Challenge: The TON Wiki Challenge rewarded users who contributed to updating the TON Wikipedia page, leading to significant improvements across various languages. Learn more
• Liquidity Mining Rewards campaign: TON’s liquidity mining rewards campaign distributed $720,000 in incentives, resulting in a substantial 2200% increase in network TVL. Learn more
• TON Accelerator Program: TON launched a $25 million accelerator program, supporting innovative projects in the ecosystem. Learn more
• TON Connect 2.0: The TON Connect protocol, which enables users and developers to connect wallets with applications easily, was updated for full integration with all major TON wallet service providers. Learn more
• TON Ambassador Program: TON launched an Ambassador program, a volunteer initiative designed to support Web3 community outreach. Learn more
• Hack-a-TON x DWF Labs x AWS: Hack-a-TON partnered with Amazon Web Services to host a series of DeFi and data analytics hackathons. Learn more
• Interview with Anatoliy Makosov: TON Foundation published an exclusive interview with the TON technical lead, Anatoliy Makosov. Learn more

June

• Toncoin burn mechanism: The community voted to implement a real-time deflationary mechanism to burn 50% of Toncoin transaction fees. Learn more
• TON Torrent: A TON-based torrent system was introduced, enabling users to share and download files in a decentralized manner using TON Blockchain. Learn more
• TVM Update: The TVM received a significant update, including extended cryptography and new instructions. Learn more
• GM.co partnership: TON partnered with GM.co, the world’s largest Web3-based marketplace, allowing users to pay for goods and services using Toncoin. Learn more
• TVM Rewards Challenge: TON launched a $54,000 rewards challenge for developers to create smart contracts using the new features in the latest TVM update. Learn more
• Tonkeeper browser extensions: Tonkeeper released a series of browser extensions and became the first TON wallet available on Firefox. Learn more

July

• TON encryption: TON introduced encryption messaging support across all major ecosystem wallets. Learn more
• TON Believers Fund: The TON Believers Fund, also known as The Locker, was launched as a smart contract, enabling users to lock their Toncoin for an extended period in exchange for rewards. Learn more
• Liquid staking on TON: Liquid staking was introduced to TON through platforms like Tonstakers and bemo. Learn more
• TON NFTs feature in Times Square: Ellen Sheidlin, a popular photoblogger and painter, launched an NFT Collection on TON Diamonds that was featured in Times Square, New York. Learn more
• TON GameFi development: TON Play released Unity SDK and game payment management that sparked a surge in TON GameFi projects. Learn more
• Alchemy Pay collaboration: Support for Toncoin (TON) was introduced on Alchemy Pay, a leading payment solution provider for both crypto and fiat. Learn more
• Wallet Pay: Wallet introduced Wallet Pay which allows for shopping with crypto directly through Telegram. Learn more
• Bit enables trading fee payment in TON: Bit became the first ever crypto exchange to allow trading fee payments in a token other than its native coin. Learn more

August

• TON Society: TON’s native decentralized social network, TON Society, underwent a major overhaul, introducing a new platform and establishing a series of global hubs. Learn more
• Telegram Web Apps and tApps Center: TON introduced Telegram Web Apps and the Telegram Apps Center, marking a significant step towards evolving into a Web3 SuperApp. Learn more
• TONcoin.Fund investment: TONcoin.Fund announced a six-figure investment in TonUP to support ecosystem growth. Learn more
• Telegram Web3 Grant Program: TON Foundation launched the Telegram Web3 Grant Program to support ecosystem growth. Learn more

September

• First Stage Labs rebrand to The Open Platform: FSL rebranded itself as “The Open Platform,” clearly stating its mission to assist in developing the Telegram Web3 SuperApp. Learn more
• TON x Telegram: At TOKEN2049, the official TON-Telegram collaboration was announced, including the launch of the TON Space self-custodial wallet in Telegram. Learn more
• TON Stat: The leading network data analytics platform, TON Stat, was officially launched to provide users with key metrics about the ecosystem. Learn more
• Tencent Cloud partnership: TON Foundation announced a partnership with Tencent Cloud, a leading cloud computing provider, to support Telegram’s Mini App ecosystem. Learn more

October

• TON wallet address update: TON wallets received an address update to make the network safer and more accessible. Learn more
• Blockchain.com listing: Toncoin (TON) was listed on Blockchain.com, increasing its accessibility to a broader audience. Learn more

November

• World Speed Record: TON officially became the world’s fastest blockchain, outperforming all competitor blockchains, Visa, and Mastercard, with the result audited by Certik. Learn more
• The Gateway: TON’s first in-person conference, The Gateway, was hosted in Dubai, where the community announced its commitment to build a Web3 SuperApp on Telegram using TON technology. Learn more
• TON Innovators Series: TON introduced the Innovators Series of interviews, featuring discussions with EVAA Protocol and Notcoin.
• TON Accelerator Mentorship Program: TON introduced a mentorship program to guide and support builders and developers. Learn more
• Animoca Brands joins TON: Animoca Brands, a Web3 gaming and metaverse leader, became the largest validator on TON Blockchain. Learn more

December

• Anton Trunov joins TON Foundation: Anton Trunov, a prominent blockchain developer, joined TON Foundation and presented a new TON roadmap. Learn more
• KuCoin joins TON: KuCoin ventures, the investment arm of the KuCoin crypto exchange, announced a strategic partnership with TON Foundation. Learn more
• cNFT format launched on TON: TON introduced support for the cNFT format, initially used by Getgems in their Egg Fight Club. Learn more
• TON supported by Ledger: Ledger hardware wallets added support for Toncoin (TON), enhancing security for TON holders. Learn more
• TON x OKX: TON teamed up with OKX, the world’s leading crypto exchange, to launch a Learn & Earn campaign. Learn more
• TON inscriptions: A new inscription token standard was introduced, leading to unprecedented levels of transactions on the mainnet. Learn more

The year 2023 was the biggest year in TON’s history, and the community achieved some groundbreaking milestones. The network’s achievements, strategic partnerships, and community-driven initiatives have positioned TON at the forefront of Web3 development and adoption. We wish to thank every member of the TON Community, and we eagerly look forward to welcoming more Telegram users who will soon be joining us here on the Web3 frontier.

Here’s to another year of progress 🍻