Amid the Telegram gaming boom, TON Application Chain has partnered with Polygon to introduce an Ethereum-compatible Layer-2 integration for the TON ecosystem. This collaboration aims to expand the range of decentralized applications available to $TON users, particularly in decentralized finance (#DeFi) and blockchain gaming (#GameFi).
The team behind The Open Network (TON), the popular blockchain integrated with the Telegram messaging platform, announced that it is launching its own layer-2 network based on Polygon’s technology. The announcement was made on Tuesday at the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) in Brussels, Belgium.
The TON Applications Chain (TAC) protocol, designed as a bridge to the Ethereum ecosystem, will use Polygon’s Chain Development Kit (CDK), a customizable toolkit that allows developers to create their own layer-2 blockchains based on Polygon’s zero-knowledge technology, and their AggLayer to enable Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) applications to operate within the TON ecosystem.
"This collaboration enhances our ability to bridge the gap between TON and Ethereum ecosystems, delivering seamless decentralized app integration within Telegram and fueling unprecedented growth in user engagement." (Pavel Altukhov, the founder of TAC, for Decrypt)
TAC is expected to greatly enhance liquidity access and accelerate DeFi adoption for the TON ecosystem. In addition to DeFi, TAC will support various innovative applications on the TON blockchain, such as gaming and decentralized identity solutions.
The news comes amid a Telegram gaming boom driven by crypto incentives following the launch of Notcoin and its NOT token on TON. This also coincides with the major trend of blockchain companies developing their own layer-2 networks over the past year. Coinbase launched its "Base" using Optimism's OP Stack in August 2023, initiating this trend. Subsequently, Celo and Worldcoin announced plans for layer-2 rollups with OP Stack, while OKX released "X Layer" using Polygon's CDK in April.
Telegram itself has increasingly embraced $TON in recent months, using it to pay channel operators a share of ad revenue. The scaling network is being promoted to bring more decentralized finance (#DeFi) activities to TON.
“We chose to build on the Polygon ecosystem for its EVM compatibility, seamless availability of liquidity from EVM chains via AggLayer, comprehensive deployment support, and Polygon's EVM expertise. The vibrant community surrounding Polygon was also a crucial factor in our decision.” (Pavel Altukhov, the founder of TAC, for CoinDesk)
Meanwhile, the number of active users on the TON blockchain surpassed that of active addresses on Ethereum, highlighting the active development of the TON ecosystem and the Telegram messenger. This growth was significantly boosted by the hype around tapping games like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin.
