Telegram Launches the Official Testnet for its Blockchain TON Network

Telegram the popular encrypted messaging app has finally launched its official testnet for the Telegram Open Network (TON). The news came into the public domain through the files posted on test.ton.org. The posted files contain the preliminary version of the TON testnet Lite client version along with the TON blockchain library.

The files for the stable version of TON testnet Lite client version was earlier uploaded on Github by some user on May 25. If one downloads the files from Github and configure it correctly, it would connect the user to the full node of the TON blockchain testnet.

Along with the Lite client, the users also have the option to download configuration file which would enable the development of smart contracts. The smart contract configuration file connects the user to a special server, on which the user can start creating new smart contracts, audit the existing ones, and send external messages to smart contracts as well.

Telegram also released a new programming language in the form of Fift, which has been specifically designed for developing and managing smart contracts on the TON blockchain. The programming language would also help in interacting with the TON Virtual Machine.

Telegram reportedly launched a private beta version of the testnet to a selected number of global developers back in April. While private testing did not bring in a lot of outcomes, but two of the anonymous developers did comment that the transaction speeds on the network are extremely fast.

Telegram has been working on its blockchain program for quite some time, and it also created an ICO record for the fund it raised which was in billions. Since the ICO, there have been several leaks around the official TON network. Among all the leaks the most prominent has been a Youtube video displaying various features of the new Telegram app with support for various Dapps and payment options within the application.