The TON Foundation, the developer of the Open Network (TON), has announced the release of on-chain encrypted messaging capabilities. This new feature enables TON users to send private messages to one another, as stated in the announcement made on July 3. TON is a blockchain network that was forked from code initially created by the team behind the popular instant messaging application, Telegram. Although Telegram abandoned the project prior to the mainnet launch in July 2020, they open-sourced TON's code, allowing others to continue it's development.
The TON Foundation claims that the current network, called "TON," offers superior scalability and transaction throughput compared to other options within the Web3 ecosystem, all while maintaining decentralization. Previously, users on the TON network could send messages within transaction s, but these messages were publicly visible. With the new feature, these messages can now be encrypted end-to-end, ensuring that only the intended recipients can read them.
Anatoly Makosov, a core developer of TON, explained that the encrypted messaging feature was introduced to allow for personalized transactions. Users can now add text to their transactions, such as "Have a coffee" or "Happy birthday," creating a more personalized inter action Makosov also highlighted the potential usefulness of the encrypted messaging feature in scenarios where traditional messaging servers fail, referring to it as a reliable and protected method of private communication during such situations.
Encrypted messages can currently be accessed using various retail wallet apps, including MyTonWallet, OpenMask, and TON Wallet. The announcement mentioned that the upcoming update of the mobile wallet Ton keeper will also incorporate this feature. In May, the TON Foundation launched a $25 million accelerator program aimed at encouraging application developers to build on the TON network. Furthermore, in November, a group of independent developers created a Telegram trading bot to facilitate user onboarding to TON.
Through the introduction of on-chain encrypted messaging capabilities, TON aims to enhance the privacy and security of communication among its users. The feature aligns with the foundation's ongoing efforts to foster development and adoption of the TON network, as evidenced by initiatives like the accelerator program and the introduction of user-friendly tools like the Telegram trading bot.
