The Telegram Open Network (TON), a blockchain based platform developed by popular privacy-centric messaging app Telegram, has moved into a private beta testing stage. Currently, the beta testing of the app is open to Russian developers, and so far “extremely high transacting speeds” has been reported.
TON Private Beta Testing Stage is Open to Few Anonymous Developer
According to a recent publication documenting the move by the TON, it was reported that only a few teams of developers were given access to the private beta. These developers were cited as anonymous sources by the publication.
The report revealed that the developers have been able to set up TON blockchain nodes, and test transactions.
Based on previous reports, this beta testing stage is meant to be released late last year, however, nothing was held from the TON corner. The quiet launch of the beta version shows that the TON team has been working despite the backlash it has received for its slow output.
The TON quiet launch does not come as a surprise to most people. Just last year, $1.7 billion was raised in an initial coin offering (ICO) which was closed to the public.
TON which is said to let developers create decentralized applications (dApps) powered by its Gram token will be leveraging Telegram’s massive user base for its growth. In light of this, several analysts said they expect the “TON’s native token, the Gram, to see heavy trading once the platform goes live.”
Going by the token purchase agreements, the Telegram’s Open Network will have to launch by the end of October of 2018. If not, the token purchase agreements become invalid. This means the company has six months to wrap up its beta testing phase.
Telegram is Banned in Russia and Iran
Although the CEO of the firm Pavel Durov is a Russian Citizen, the app is banned in the country. This is in response to a refusal to cooperate with a request that would see it assist in decrypting users’ conversations.
The CEO confirmed this in a recent tweet which reads:
“In 5+ years, Telegram disclosed exactly zero bytes of private data to third-parties including governments. That’s why Telegram is banned by authoritarian governments such as Russia and Iran. Other apps such as WhatsApp have no issues with there.”