The network developer, TON blockchain, announced on July 3 that The Open Network (TON) had launched an on-chain encrypted chat function.
Private communications can now be sent between TON users thanks to the new feature. The Telegram team’s code was used to construct the blockchain network known as TON. Before a mainnet was ever introduced, Telegram gave up on the project in July 2020.
However, it released the source code for TON before departing, allowing others to carry on improving the work it had started. The present network, referred to as “TON,” was created by the TON Foundation.
According to the foundation, the network is decentralized and offers more scalability and transaction throughput than other solutions in the Web3 ecosystem. Users have always been able to send messages during transactions on TON.
These messages, however, used to be entirely public. With the help of the new functionality, users can encrypt these messages from beginning to end, ensuring that only the intended recipient can read them. The functionality, according to TON core creator Anatoly Makosov, was designed to enable the “personalization” of transactions:
“When sending Toncoin, Jettons, or NFTs on TON, you have always been able to include a text for the recipient such as ‘for coffee’ or ‘happy birthday’, thereby personalizing the interaction. Now this popular feature […] is available with full encryption.”
Makosov stated that it would be helpful in a “apocalypse” that renders conventional messenger servers useless. TON can be used as a “safeguarded” and “reliable” secret communication channel.
Several retail wallet programs, including MyTonWallet, OpenMask, and TON Wallet, support encrypted communications. The mobile wallet Tonkeeper will also get the capability “in upcoming updates,” according to the statement.
A $25 million accelerator program was started in May by the TON Foundation to entice software developers to expand the network. A separate development team developed a Telegram trading bot in November to welcome users to TON.