The first-ever Hack-a-TON has ended!
A few days ago, TON Contests shared the results of the first hackathon for JavaScript specialists, and today, we’re going to share those results with you.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that the contest’s total prize pool was increased from 40,000 to 81,500 Toncoin.
Contest participants handed in a higher number of submissions than was initially expected; therefore, the TON Foundation doubled the prize pool as a form of recognition of all the quality projects. In the end, six teams rounded out the top three spots with two teams apiece.
Over 2,400 teams registered to compete in the hackathon, 80 of which were able to present their prototypes.
This was the first TON event where programmers could participate offline in Prague and Moscow.
We were really impressed with the inaugural Hack-a-TON.
Contestants came up with fascinating ideas on how to apply the underlying technology of Payment Channels, and we’ll introduce you to some of them shortly.
You can find a list of submitted projects with video presentations on the official site:
https://ton.org/hack-a-ton-1.
We’d like to thank all the hackathon participants and want to take this opportunity to remind you that the TON Contests Telegram channel will soon announce the TON Smart Challenge #2.
A few days ago, TON Contests shared the results of the first hackathon for JavaScript specialists, and today, we’re going to share those results with you.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that the contest’s total prize pool was increased from 40,000 to 81,500 Toncoin.
Contest participants handed in a higher number of submissions than was initially expected; therefore, the TON Foundation doubled the prize pool as a form of recognition of all the quality projects. In the end, six teams rounded out the top three spots with two teams apiece.
Over 2,400 teams registered to compete in the hackathon, 80 of which were able to present their prototypes.
This was the first TON event where programmers could participate offline in Prague and Moscow.
We were really impressed with the inaugural Hack-a-TON.
Contestants came up with fascinating ideas on how to apply the underlying technology of Payment Channels, and we’ll introduce you to some of them shortly.
You can find a list of submitted projects with video presentations on the official site:
https://ton.org/hack-a-ton-1.
We’d like to thank all the hackathon participants and want to take this opportunity to remind you that the TON Contests Telegram channel will soon announce the TON Smart Challenge #2.
Use cases for TON Payments: The ideas generated at the hackathon.
A few days ago, we received the final results from the inaugural Hack-a-TON for JavaScript specialists, who were tasked with finding novel use cases for the TON Payments technology.
Today, we’d like to share with you some of the submissions that stood out, which will help you better understand the payment channels technology on a deeper level by using simple examples.
Use case No. 1: How TON Payments can ignite a revolution on social media.
Two teams, OnlyTONs and OnlyGrams, had the idea to integrate payment channels on social media and presented prototypes.
Imagine a platform where users pay creators micro-rewards for every interaction with the latter’s content — e.g., viewing or liking a post.
For instance, when a user is scrolling their feed and viewing posts, minuscule amounts of Toncoin would be sent to the content creators in your feed.
For any given person, such a micropayment is peanuts, but if a photograph is viewed thousands of times, its creator will receive a significant amount of Toncoin from all the viewers.
There are, in fact, social networks that apply this model and earn income from our actions on their platforms: They analyze our personal information, behavior, and preferences to show us targeted ads.
Direct and decentralized micropayments “from the user to the content creator” look like a fairer alternative.
Use case No. 2: Decentralized streaming.
The team behind TON Diamonds submitted a prototype for a streaming platform called Diamonds, whose users pay for the time spent during a stream.
This use case could also be applied to online education (paying a teacher, the entertainment industry (paying music listeners), consulting services (paying your doctor for a check-up), and many more.
Use case No. 3: Micropayments in video games.
The creators of the TON rock-paper-scissors project showed how TON Payments could be applied in games.
To display the idea, the team used the game “rock-paper-scissors” as an example.
Two people make a wager before they begin playing the game, which is to make a simple choice: rock, paper, or scissors. The winner collects a reward, after which the players can immediately play again and set a new wager without waiting five seconds for transaction confirmations or paying any fees.
This gaming model can be applied in any player-versus-player game where lightning-quick speeds and zero fees are required.
Honorable mentions.
The hackathon’s participants presented many fascinating use cases, some of which are:
▪️ Receiving a micropayment for clicking on an ad banner (TON Ads).
▪️ Payments for audio and video calls (TON Calls).
▪️ Different kinds of games (DO-L).
▪️ The Open Wallet — a payments network (Lightning Network) among Telegram users.
We were very impressed with many of the submitted projects but can’t list them all here.
We recommend viewing video presentations of the hackathon’s winners on the official site or TON Contests Telegram channel.
Thank you once again to all the participants! We’re confident many of your ideas and use cases will find their place in the decentralized internet, which the team at TON is developing.
A few days ago, we received the final results from the inaugural Hack-a-TON for JavaScript specialists, who were tasked with finding novel use cases for the TON Payments technology.
Today, we’d like to share with you some of the submissions that stood out, which will help you better understand the payment channels technology on a deeper level by using simple examples.
Use case No. 1: How TON Payments can ignite a revolution on social media.
Two teams, OnlyTONs and OnlyGrams, had the idea to integrate payment channels on social media and presented prototypes.
Imagine a platform where users pay creators micro-rewards for every interaction with the latter’s content — e.g., viewing or liking a post.
For instance, when a user is scrolling their feed and viewing posts, minuscule amounts of Toncoin would be sent to the content creators in your feed.
For any given person, such a micropayment is peanuts, but if a photograph is viewed thousands of times, its creator will receive a significant amount of Toncoin from all the viewers.
There are, in fact, social networks that apply this model and earn income from our actions on their platforms: They analyze our personal information, behavior, and preferences to show us targeted ads.
Direct and decentralized micropayments “from the user to the content creator” look like a fairer alternative.
Use case No. 2: Decentralized streaming.
The team behind TON Diamonds submitted a prototype for a streaming platform called Diamonds, whose users pay for the time spent during a stream.
This use case could also be applied to online education (paying a teacher, the entertainment industry (paying music listeners), consulting services (paying your doctor for a check-up), and many more.
Use case No. 3: Micropayments in video games.
The creators of the TON rock-paper-scissors project showed how TON Payments could be applied in games.
To display the idea, the team used the game “rock-paper-scissors” as an example.
Two people make a wager before they begin playing the game, which is to make a simple choice: rock, paper, or scissors. The winner collects a reward, after which the players can immediately play again and set a new wager without waiting five seconds for transaction confirmations or paying any fees.
This gaming model can be applied in any player-versus-player game where lightning-quick speeds and zero fees are required.
Honorable mentions.
The hackathon’s participants presented many fascinating use cases, some of which are:
▪️ Receiving a micropayment for clicking on an ad banner (TON Ads).
▪️ Payments for audio and video calls (TON Calls).
▪️ Different kinds of games (DO-L).
▪️ The Open Wallet — a payments network (Lightning Network) among Telegram users.
We were very impressed with many of the submitted projects but can’t list them all here.
We recommend viewing video presentations of the hackathon’s winners on the official site or TON Contests Telegram channel.
Thank you once again to all the participants! We’re confident many of your ideas and use cases will find their place in the decentralized internet, which the team at TON is developing.
TON Community Weekly Digest
Here’s a roundup of the ecosystem’s most exciting news from the past seven days.
Network stats update:
▪️ The number of new accounts created on TON from July 10 to 16 grew from 950,005 to 992,265 (+4.4%).
News:
▪️ We published our Q2 2022 report.
▪️ TON Society launched a new fund worth $90 million aimed at financing, incubating, and promoting TON-based projects to the masses.
▪️ TON Society launched a program called Footsteps, which will allow users to participate in improving and developing the TON blockchain.
▪️ TON Society and TON-based launchpad Tonstarter announced their partnership.
▪️ Tonscan.org released an update. Now, the explorer displays NFTs connected to wallet addresses.
▪️ The results of the TON Community Manager Contest were published.
▪️ The results of the inaugural Hack-a-TON were published, as well as a highlight of the top projects submitted.
▪️ The Getgems team announced the launch of its grant program for smart contract developers to create a standard for a TON-based Soulbound NFT.
▪️ STON.fi, a DEX on The Open Network, has launched a public demo with rewards for participants. You can find more details here.
▪️ Famous blogger and artist Ellen Sheidlin dropped her first collection on the TON blockchain on the TON Diamonds NFT marketplace.
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments brewing in the TON ecosystem by turning on the notifications to this channel. You won’t want to miss a thing!
Here’s a roundup of the ecosystem’s most exciting news from the past seven days.
Network stats update:
▪️ The number of new accounts created on TON from July 10 to 16 grew from 950,005 to 992,265 (+4.4%).
News:
▪️ We published our Q2 2022 report.
▪️ TON Society launched a new fund worth $90 million aimed at financing, incubating, and promoting TON-based projects to the masses.
▪️ TON Society launched a program called Footsteps, which will allow users to participate in improving and developing the TON blockchain.
▪️ TON Society and TON-based launchpad Tonstarter announced their partnership.
▪️ Tonscan.org released an update. Now, the explorer displays NFTs connected to wallet addresses.
▪️ The results of the TON Community Manager Contest were published.
▪️ The results of the inaugural Hack-a-TON were published, as well as a highlight of the top projects submitted.
▪️ The Getgems team announced the launch of its grant program for smart contract developers to create a standard for a TON-based Soulbound NFT.
▪️ STON.fi, a DEX on The Open Network, has launched a public demo with rewards for participants. You can find more details here.
▪️ Famous blogger and artist Ellen Sheidlin dropped her first collection on the TON blockchain on the TON Diamonds NFT marketplace.
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments brewing in the TON ecosystem by turning on the notifications to this channel. You won’t want to miss a thing!
The Open Network has 1 million registered crypto wallets!
We’re excited to announce that the number of registered wallet addresses on The Open Network blockchain has reached the coveted 1-million mark.
Over the past six months, the number of wallet addresses and smart contracts on the blockchain has soared by almost 7.5 times, from 133,000 to 1 million (+649%).
We’re confident that this momentum will only continue moving forward.
Thank you to all of the network’s users!
We’re excited to announce that the number of registered wallet addresses on The Open Network blockchain has reached the coveted 1-million mark.
Over the past six months, the number of wallet addresses and smart contracts on the blockchain has soared by almost 7.5 times, from 133,000 to 1 million (+649%).
We’re confident that this momentum will only continue moving forward.
Thank you to all of the network’s users!
How TON solves everyday issues for its users.
The TON Foundation is in the process of building the decentralized Web3 internet, which will be as easy to use as the current and centralized version of the internet.
Various services have already integrated support for TON to allow clients to settle payments using the Toncoin cryptocurrency.
With these services, users don’t need to know how the blockchain functions — all they have to do is download a mobile TON-based crypto wallet to start taking advantage of decentralized technologies.
TON wallets.
TON wallets are one way to make quick payments on the blockchain. Using a non-custodial wallet, you can be sure that your funds will always be under your control — without interference from a bank or intermediaries.
There is a long list of convenient crypto wallets based on The Open Network blockchain. You can find it on the official website here:
ton.org/wallets
@wallet
The @wallet crypto Telegram bot is the most popular custodial service in the TON ecosystem. It allows users to send crypto to contacts directly within chats on the messenger.
For everyday transactions, @wallet is ideal, but for long-term storage, we recommend using non-custodial wallets for your Toncoin.
Donations and subscriptions on Telegram.
One of the most popular services that support Toncoin payments is the @donate bot.
With @donate, Telegram channel owners can monetize their content and communities by accepting donations and incorporating paid subscriptions.
By paying in Toncoin, channel owners and subscribers can rest assured that all transactions are completely decentralized and happen on the blockchain without any intermediaries.
Staking.
Users of the TON blockchain can stake their Toncoin and receive up to 10.5% APY.
They can deposit their Toncoin in a staking pool via two services:
▪️ tonvalidators.org (from 10,000 Toncoin)
▪️ tonwhales.com/staking (from 50 Toncoin)
Buying, selling, and exchanging Toncoin.
There are many ways you can obtain or exchange Toncoin into other currencies and cryptocurrencies.
You can do so with a bank card, peer-to-peer trading, crypto exchanges, or blockchain bridges.
You can find more information here:
ton.org/buy
Buying and selling NFTs.
Users can buy and trade TON-based NFTs on Getgems or Disintar, two of the biggest NFT platforms on TON, among others.
eSIM with mobile internet.
The @mobile Telegram bot allows users to use an electronic SIM card that also provides internet, which operates in multiple countries and accepts Toncoin for payment.
Cashback services.
You can get cashback in the form of Toncoin by making regular online purchases. The following service support this model:
▪️ Backit.me.
TON Place.
TON Place is a decentralized social network with exclusive content.
Other services and apps.
New applications and products launch on The Open Network constantly.
You can find a comprehensive list of all TON-based services on TON’s official website in the TON Apps suite.
The TON Foundation is in the process of building the decentralized Web3 internet, which will be as easy to use as the current and centralized version of the internet.
Various services have already integrated support for TON to allow clients to settle payments using the Toncoin cryptocurrency.
With these services, users don’t need to know how the blockchain functions — all they have to do is download a mobile TON-based crypto wallet to start taking advantage of decentralized technologies.
TON wallets.
TON wallets are one way to make quick payments on the blockchain. Using a non-custodial wallet, you can be sure that your funds will always be under your control — without interference from a bank or intermediaries.
There is a long list of convenient crypto wallets based on The Open Network blockchain. You can find it on the official website here:
ton.org/wallets
@wallet
The @wallet crypto Telegram bot is the most popular custodial service in the TON ecosystem. It allows users to send crypto to contacts directly within chats on the messenger.
For everyday transactions, @wallet is ideal, but for long-term storage, we recommend using non-custodial wallets for your Toncoin.
Donations and subscriptions on Telegram.
One of the most popular services that support Toncoin payments is the @donate bot.
With @donate, Telegram channel owners can monetize their content and communities by accepting donations and incorporating paid subscriptions.
By paying in Toncoin, channel owners and subscribers can rest assured that all transactions are completely decentralized and happen on the blockchain without any intermediaries.
Staking.
Users of the TON blockchain can stake their Toncoin and receive up to 10.5% APY.
They can deposit their Toncoin in a staking pool via two services:
▪️ tonvalidators.org (from 10,000 Toncoin)
▪️ tonwhales.com/staking (from 50 Toncoin)
Buying, selling, and exchanging Toncoin.
There are many ways you can obtain or exchange Toncoin into other currencies and cryptocurrencies.
You can do so with a bank card, peer-to-peer trading, crypto exchanges, or blockchain bridges.
You can find more information here:
ton.org/buy
Buying and selling NFTs.
Users can buy and trade TON-based NFTs on Getgems or Disintar, two of the biggest NFT platforms on TON, among others.
eSIM with mobile internet.
The @mobile Telegram bot allows users to use an electronic SIM card that also provides internet, which operates in multiple countries and accepts Toncoin for payment.
Cashback services.
You can get cashback in the form of Toncoin by making regular online purchases. The following service support this model:
▪️ Backit.me.
TON Place.
TON Place is a decentralized social network with exclusive content.
Other services and apps.
New applications and products launch on The Open Network constantly.
You can find a comprehensive list of all TON-based services on TON’s official website in the TON Apps suite.
10 days until the TON DNS auction.
This is a reminder that the decentralized distribution of TON DNS domain names begins on July 30, 2022 where users will be able to obtain a short human-readable .ton name via an auction.
The auction will take place on the dns.ton.org website.
You also have an opportunity to learn more about the process on the testnet, but we want to warn users to be careful and not to send their real Toncoin because they’ll be lost forever.
Below we answer some frequently asked questions:
▪️ As protection against spamming bots that automatically register names, every domain will require a minimum bid. The size of this bid depends on the number of characters and can vary from 10 to 1,000 Toncoin.
▪️ All Toncoin from the sale of domain names will be sent to smart contracts where they’ll be frozen forever and removed from the total supply.
You can find more details and TON DNS auction rules here: https://telegra.ph/TON-DNS-auction-rules-07-21
This is a reminder that the decentralized distribution of TON DNS domain names begins on July 30, 2022 where users will be able to obtain a short human-readable .ton name via an auction.
The auction will take place on the dns.ton.org website.
You also have an opportunity to learn more about the process on the testnet, but we want to warn users to be careful and not to send their real Toncoin because they’ll be lost forever.
Below we answer some frequently asked questions:
▪️ As protection against spamming bots that automatically register names, every domain will require a minimum bid. The size of this bid depends on the number of characters and can vary from 10 to 1,000 Toncoin.
▪️ All Toncoin from the sale of domain names will be sent to smart contracts where they’ll be frozen forever and removed from the total supply.
You can find more details and TON DNS auction rules here: https://telegra.ph/TON-DNS-auction-rules-07-21
NFT Calendar has added support for the TON blockchain.
Big news in the TON NFT world: Now, collection creators on TON will be able to post information about future drops on NFT Calendar, one of the most-used NFT news resources.
Every month, over 500,000 crypto enthusiasts looking to find the next exciting event and NFT collection visit the portal.
We’re happy that future TON-based NFT collections will be visible on such an essential platform in the crypto industry.
We’d like to thank the Getgems and TON Doge teams, who were instrumental in adding the TON blockchain to NFT Calendar.
Big news in the TON NFT world: Now, collection creators on TON will be able to post information about future drops on NFT Calendar, one of the most-used NFT news resources.
Every month, over 500,000 crypto enthusiasts looking to find the next exciting event and NFT collection visit the portal.
We’re happy that future TON-based NFT collections will be visible on such an essential platform in the crypto industry.
We’d like to thank the Getgems and TON Doge teams, who were instrumental in adding the TON blockchain to NFT Calendar.
Forwarded from CAT — TON Validator, Apps and News
⚡️This week tonscan.org was updated — now you can see all NFTs belonging to any address as in this example.
We will enhance our cooperation with the Getgems marketplace to improve NFT functionality.
Tonscan is more than just a blockchain explorer — even if it's not always obvious at first sight. Big update coming soon.
We will enhance our cooperation with the Getgems marketplace to improve NFT functionality.
Tonscan is more than just a blockchain explorer — even if it's not always obvious at first sight. Big update coming soon.
Convenient alternative services on TON.
We’ve highlighted numerous times that product development has a special place in The Open Network’s philosophy, with the TON Foundation actively supporting its blockchain developers.
The ecosystem continues to see more convenient services from independent developers, so today, we’re going to tell you about two applications that stand out.
Juston — a noncustodial crypto wallet that enables seamless sign-ins for TON dApps.
What you can do with Juston:
▪️ Create multiple TON-based wallets and switch from one to another in a user-friendly interface.
▪️ Interact with popular TON services using a built-in decentralized browser, which operates like the TON Wallet extension in Google Chrome and allows users to sign in on other sites directly within the mobile app.
The browser already supports an array of services, such as Getgems, Disintar, Scaleton, and Jetton Deployer, and will let users participate in the upcoming TON DNS auction.
Its developers plan on releasing an Android-based app that supports Jettons. You can find more information on the official website or the project’s Telegram channel.
StickerFace — a mobile app to help you create NFT avatars on TON.
With StickerFace, users can generate digital avatars derived from a photograph or create one with the creator kit by manipulating facial features, hair color, and other characteristics.
Users will be able to place their new avatars on the TON blockchain as an NFT and add NFT clothing and accessories.
It’s worth noting that the avatars are full-fledged NFTs: You can store them in wallets, transfer them, and even put them up for sale on NFT marketplaces.
Everything happens within the convenient interface of the mobile app, which you can download on the project’s official website. You can find more information on StickerFace on the service’s Telegram channel.
These two are just the tip of the iceberg; there are many useful and exciting services in the TON Apps suite.
We’ve highlighted numerous times that product development has a special place in The Open Network’s philosophy, with the TON Foundation actively supporting its blockchain developers.
The ecosystem continues to see more convenient services from independent developers, so today, we’re going to tell you about two applications that stand out.
Juston — a noncustodial crypto wallet that enables seamless sign-ins for TON dApps.
What you can do with Juston:
▪️ Create multiple TON-based wallets and switch from one to another in a user-friendly interface.
▪️ Interact with popular TON services using a built-in decentralized browser, which operates like the TON Wallet extension in Google Chrome and allows users to sign in on other sites directly within the mobile app.
The browser already supports an array of services, such as Getgems, Disintar, Scaleton, and Jetton Deployer, and will let users participate in the upcoming TON DNS auction.
Its developers plan on releasing an Android-based app that supports Jettons. You can find more information on the official website or the project’s Telegram channel.
StickerFace — a mobile app to help you create NFT avatars on TON.
With StickerFace, users can generate digital avatars derived from a photograph or create one with the creator kit by manipulating facial features, hair color, and other characteristics.
Users will be able to place their new avatars on the TON blockchain as an NFT and add NFT clothing and accessories.
It’s worth noting that the avatars are full-fledged NFTs: You can store them in wallets, transfer them, and even put them up for sale on NFT marketplaces.
Everything happens within the convenient interface of the mobile app, which you can download on the project’s official website. You can find more information on StickerFace on the service’s Telegram channel.
These two are just the tip of the iceberg; there are many useful and exciting services in the TON Apps suite.
TON Community Weekly Digest
Here’s a roundup of the ecosystem’s most exciting news from the past seven days.
Network stats update:
▪️ The number of new accounts created on TON from July 17 to 23 grew from 998,112 to 1,029,895 (+3.2%).
News:
▪️ The number of registered accounts on the network surpassed 1 million.
▪️ We published the rules for the upcoming TON DNS auction starting July 30.
▪️ NFT Calendar added support for the TON blockchain.
▪️ NFT marketplace Getgems released three important updates: one for its Telegram NFT bot, another aimed at collection creators, and the latest one was an integration with the Disintar NFT marketplace.
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments brewing in the TON ecosystem by turning on the notifications to this channel. You won’t want to miss a thing!
Here’s a roundup of the ecosystem’s most exciting news from the past seven days.
Network stats update:
▪️ The number of new accounts created on TON from July 17 to 23 grew from 998,112 to 1,029,895 (+3.2%).
News:
▪️ The number of registered accounts on the network surpassed 1 million.
▪️ We published the rules for the upcoming TON DNS auction starting July 30.
▪️ NFT Calendar added support for the TON blockchain.
▪️ NFT marketplace Getgems released three important updates: one for its Telegram NFT bot, another aimed at collection creators, and the latest one was an integration with the Disintar NFT marketplace.
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments brewing in the TON ecosystem by turning on the notifications to this channel. You won’t want to miss a thing!
An AMA with a member of the TON Foundation and TON ecosystem participants.
On July 28, an AMA in written format will be held in the TON Society Telegram chat for creators and developers of TON-based products.
The AMA will cover the TON ecosystem’s grant programs. The speakers will discuss this and other topics:
▪️What criteria do teams of developers need to meet to participate in the grant programs?
▪️How does TON Society analyze services applying for a grant?
▪️How does TON Society plan on making the application process as transparent and public as possible?
The following speakers will be answering questions during the AMA:
▪️Justin Hyun, Head of Incubation at the TON Foundation.
▪️Cyril Malev, a junior partner at FS Labs.
▪️Tal Kol, founder of the Orbs Network blockchain and a TON Society contributor.
The AMA begins at 16:00 (UTC) on July 28 in the TON Society chat: @tonsociety_chat
All users will be able to participate in the AMA by asking questions. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section. We’ll include them in our list and will try to answer all of them!
Users who cannot join the AMA live will be able to read a text version afterward.
On July 28, an AMA in written format will be held in the TON Society Telegram chat for creators and developers of TON-based products.
The AMA will cover the TON ecosystem’s grant programs. The speakers will discuss this and other topics:
▪️What criteria do teams of developers need to meet to participate in the grant programs?
▪️How does TON Society analyze services applying for a grant?
▪️How does TON Society plan on making the application process as transparent and public as possible?
The following speakers will be answering questions during the AMA:
▪️Justin Hyun, Head of Incubation at the TON Foundation.
▪️Cyril Malev, a junior partner at FS Labs.
▪️Tal Kol, founder of the Orbs Network blockchain and a TON Society contributor.
The AMA begins at 16:00 (UTC) on July 28 in the TON Society chat: @tonsociety_chat
All users will be able to participate in the AMA by asking questions. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section. We’ll include them in our list and will try to answer all of them!
Users who cannot join the AMA live will be able to read a text version afterward.
The number of validators on The Open Network surpassed 200 in July.
We’d like to mention that the rate at which new validators joining the network over the past few months has increased exponentially. At the beginning of May, the network was servicing 188 validators, but since then, that number has risen to 226, a +20.2% increase over the last three months.
However, the growth in these numbers at the beginning of the year was more modest. From January to May, the number of nodes rose from 155 to 188, a 21% increase over just five months.
The total validator stake since the beginning of the year has also risen, from 92.3 million Toncoin to 149.5 million (+62%).
Anyone can run a validator node: All you need is professional hardware and a deposit of around 350,000 Toncoin.
You can find instructions, guides, and additional information on becoming a validator on TON’s official website:
https://ton.org/validator
We’d like to mention that the rate at which new validators joining the network over the past few months has increased exponentially. At the beginning of May, the network was servicing 188 validators, but since then, that number has risen to 226, a +20.2% increase over the last three months.
However, the growth in these numbers at the beginning of the year was more modest. From January to May, the number of nodes rose from 155 to 188, a 21% increase over just five months.
The total validator stake since the beginning of the year has also risen, from 92.3 million Toncoin to 149.5 million (+62%).
Anyone can run a validator node: All you need is professional hardware and a deposit of around 350,000 Toncoin.
You can find instructions, guides, and additional information on becoming a validator on TON’s official website:
https://ton.org/validator
A message for product creators.
To the developers in the TON ecosystem: We’ve launched a special bot that can help you tell us about the functions and updates of your services.
The most significant updates and service functions will be featured on the TON Community Telegram channel.
To tell us about your service, go to the @ton_updates_bot and follow the instructions.
Please do not send news or information on presales, contests, and similar events.
First and foremost, we’re interested in services and initiatives that improve TON and make life easier for its users.
To the developers in the TON ecosystem: We’ve launched a special bot that can help you tell us about the functions and updates of your services.
The most significant updates and service functions will be featured on the TON Community Telegram channel.
To tell us about your service, go to the @ton_updates_bot and follow the instructions.
Please do not send news or information on presales, contests, and similar events.
First and foremost, we’re interested in services and initiatives that improve TON and make life easier for its users.
The AMA with TON Foundation starts in one hour.
Here’s a quick reminder that the AMA with a member of the TON Foundation and TON ecosystem participants on grant programs in the TON ecosystem starts in one hour at 16:00 (UTC).
The AMA will be held in the TON Society Telegram chat: @tonsociety_chat
You can find more information on the AMA, its topics, and guests in this post.
Anyone can join the AMA and ask questions.
Here’s a quick reminder that the AMA with a member of the TON Foundation and TON ecosystem participants on grant programs in the TON ecosystem starts in one hour at 16:00 (UTC).
The AMA will be held in the TON Society Telegram chat: @tonsociety_chat
You can find more information on the AMA, its topics, and guests in this post.
Anyone can join the AMA and ask questions.
The Join the community section has been updated on TON’s official website.
There is now a list of all regional TON Community Telegram channels and chats in their available languages.
You can also find links to other TON social media pages and accounts.
There is now a list of all regional TON Community Telegram channels and chats in their available languages.
You can also find links to other TON social media pages and accounts.
The TON DNS auction is right around the corner!
We want to remind everyone that tomorrow, July 30, at 10:00 am London on the dns.ton.org site, the decentralized auction of .ton domain names will kick off, and all users can participate.
You can find all of the auction’s rules here:
https://telegra.ph/TON-DNS-auction-rules-07-21
You can also get acquainted with the auction’s mechanics on the testnet, but do not send your real Toncoin — otherwise, they’ll be lost forever.
So, come one, come all to the long-awaited TON DNS auction!
We want to remind everyone that tomorrow, July 30, at 10:00 am London on the dns.ton.org site, the decentralized auction of .ton domain names will kick off, and all users can participate.
You can find all of the auction’s rules here:
https://telegra.ph/TON-DNS-auction-rules-07-21
You can also get acquainted with the auction’s mechanics on the testnet, but do not send your real Toncoin — otherwise, they’ll be lost forever.
So, come one, come all to the long-awaited TON DNS auction!
The TON DNS auction is in full swing!
The .ton domain name auction has already started, and anyone is eligible to participate.
We’ve prepared a guide for you on how to participate:
https://telegra.ph/How-to-participate-in-the-TON-DNS-auction-07-30
You can read the rules here:
https://telegra.ph/TON-DNS-auction-rules-07-21
Good luck to everyone!
The .ton domain name auction has already started, and anyone is eligible to participate.
We’ve prepared a guide for you on how to participate:
https://telegra.ph/How-to-participate-in-the-TON-DNS-auction-07-30
You can read the rules here:
https://telegra.ph/TON-DNS-auction-rules-07-21
Good luck to everyone!
A service based on The Open Network for sports organizations and fans has received $2 million in investments.
Something big happened in the TON ecosystem: A few prominent blockchain investors invested money into the sports Web3 startup Fanzee based on The Open Network.
Lead investors were familiar faces in the TONcoin.Fund (backed by Huobi Incubator and KuCoin Ventures) and venture studio First Stage Labs, but they were assisted by a long list of investors, including MEXC Pioneer, VLG Digital, Orbs.com, 3Commas, and Hexit capital, part of Hemma.
To date, this is the largest investment any TON-based startup has received.
Why is this important?
This investment round for Fanzee is the TONcoin.Fund’s first foray into supporting projects in the TON ecosystem.
Whereas grant programs aim to help projects, investment funds are geared toward eventually making profits from their investments.
We’re happy to know that investors see business opportunities in projects based on The Open Network and are willing to invest large sums of money into the ecosystem.
Fanzee is a Web3 fan-engagement platform powered by the TON blockchain that helps sports and entertainment organizations connect with their fans through immersive fan journeys backed by utility-driven digital assets.
Combining gamification mechanics and blockchain technology, Fanzee is poised to revolutionize how clubs interact with their fans.
To learn more about the platform, you can visit the project’s website or go to its official Telegram channel.
Something big happened in the TON ecosystem: A few prominent blockchain investors invested money into the sports Web3 startup Fanzee based on The Open Network.
Lead investors were familiar faces in the TONcoin.Fund (backed by Huobi Incubator and KuCoin Ventures) and venture studio First Stage Labs, but they were assisted by a long list of investors, including MEXC Pioneer, VLG Digital, Orbs.com, 3Commas, and Hexit capital, part of Hemma.
To date, this is the largest investment any TON-based startup has received.
Why is this important?
This investment round for Fanzee is the TONcoin.Fund’s first foray into supporting projects in the TON ecosystem.
Whereas grant programs aim to help projects, investment funds are geared toward eventually making profits from their investments.
We’re happy to know that investors see business opportunities in projects based on The Open Network and are willing to invest large sums of money into the ecosystem.
Fanzee is a Web3 fan-engagement platform powered by the TON blockchain that helps sports and entertainment organizations connect with their fans through immersive fan journeys backed by utility-driven digital assets.
Combining gamification mechanics and blockchain technology, Fanzee is poised to revolutionize how clubs interact with their fans.
To learn more about the platform, you can visit the project’s website or go to its official Telegram channel.
TON Community Weekly Digest
Here’s a roundup of the ecosystem’s most exciting news from the past seven days.
Network stats update:
▪️ The number of new accounts created on TON from July 24 to 30 grew from 1,035,855 to 1,064,359 (+2.7%).
News:
▪️ The decentralized TON DNS auction kicked off where users can obtain .ton domain names.
▪️ TON Society hosted an AMA with a representative from the TON Foundation, which discussed grants and investments in the TON ecosystem.
▪️ A special bot was launched to help product creators tell us about updates and interesting functions of their projects.
▪️ NFT marketplace Getgems started testing NFT certificates and diplomas based on TON as a move to create a use case to accelerate mass adoption.
▪️ Fanzee, a sports-themed blockchain startup based on TON, attracted $2 million in investments.
▪️ The ton.org site updated its Join the community section.
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments brewing in the TON ecosystem by turning on the notifications to this channel. You won’t want to miss a thing!
Here’s a roundup of the ecosystem’s most exciting news from the past seven days.
Network stats update:
▪️ The number of new accounts created on TON from July 24 to 30 grew from 1,035,855 to 1,064,359 (+2.7%).
News:
▪️ The decentralized TON DNS auction kicked off where users can obtain .ton domain names.
▪️ TON Society hosted an AMA with a representative from the TON Foundation, which discussed grants and investments in the TON ecosystem.
▪️ A special bot was launched to help product creators tell us about updates and interesting functions of their projects.
▪️ NFT marketplace Getgems started testing NFT certificates and diplomas based on TON as a move to create a use case to accelerate mass adoption.
▪️ Fanzee, a sports-themed blockchain startup based on TON, attracted $2 million in investments.
▪️ The ton.org site updated its Join the community section.
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments brewing in the TON ecosystem by turning on the notifications to this channel. You won’t want to miss a thing!
The TON Smart Challenge #2 is to start soon.
The next edition of the TON Smart Challenge contest for programmers is slated to begin on Aug. 4 with a total prize pool of 16,000 Toncoin.
TON Foundation developers have carefully reviewed and considered feedback from participants of the first TON Smart Challenge and will make quality-of-life improvements for the upcoming second part of the competition.
The TON Smart Challenge #2 is aimed at developers just starting their journey of learning FunC, the primary programming language for The Open Network blockchain, and will comprise five simple tasks, which will be checked automatically.
To participate, you must register by going to this website.
You can find more details and news on the competition on the TON Contests Telegram channel.
You can prepare for the competition by studying the documentation section and creating a developer’s environment.
The next edition of the TON Smart Challenge contest for programmers is slated to begin on Aug. 4 with a total prize pool of 16,000 Toncoin.
TON Foundation developers have carefully reviewed and considered feedback from participants of the first TON Smart Challenge and will make quality-of-life improvements for the upcoming second part of the competition.
The TON Smart Challenge #2 is aimed at developers just starting their journey of learning FunC, the primary programming language for The Open Network blockchain, and will comprise five simple tasks, which will be checked automatically.
To participate, you must register by going to this website.
You can find more details and news on the competition on the TON Contests Telegram channel.
You can prepare for the competition by studying the documentation section and creating a developer’s environment.