Ethereum
Telegram-linked TON will connect to the Ethereum ecosystem via a layer-2 network
The open network (TON), the blockchain closely tied to popular messaging app Telegram, is getting its first Layer 2 scaling network in a collaboration with Polygon Laboratories.
The TON Application Chain (TAC) is designed as a connection to the Ethereum ecosystem, using Polygon’s Blockchain Development Kit (CDK) and the AggLayer interoperability protocol to enable Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) applications to operate within the TON ecosystem.
The Layer 2 chain, built on TON, is being touted as an “official Layer 2 in partnership with TOP (The Open Platform),” a TON representative confirmed to Decrypt. TOP created the Wallet Bot mini-app for Telegram and is working on other initiatives related to TON and Telegram.
“This collaboration strengthens our ability to bridge the gap between the TON and Ethereum ecosystems, delivering seamless integration of decentralized applications within Telegram and fueling unprecedented growth in user engagement,” TAC CEO Pavel Altukhov said in a statement.
TAC’s Layer 2 announcement comes amid a crypto-incentivized boom in Telegram gaming, following the launch of Notcon and it is NOT a token on TON. A newer game, Hamster Fighthas amassed over 200 million players in recent weeks ahead of the launch of its own token on TON, scheduled for this month.
In recent months, Telegram has increasingly adopted TON, including using it to pay chain operators a share of ad revenue. The scaling network is being touted as a way to bring more decentralized finance (DeFi) action to TON. Michael Egorovfounder of Curve Finance, is part of the founding team of TAC.
“[The] “The collaboration between TAC and Polygon Labs brings the necessary EVM expertise to TON,” Egorov said in a press release. “With this, TAC can connect hundreds of millions of Telegram users to DeFi, which could lead to the next wave of DeFi adoption.”
No timeline has been announced for the launch of the Layer 2 blockchain. Decrypt reached out to us for clarification on this, but did not receive an immediate response.
Editor’s Note: This article was written with the help of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andre Hayward.