The Open Network (TON)

GRAM CMC #26 in the snapshot

A sharded, message-based smart-contract network; its native token is now named Gram, formerly Toncoin.

Profile checked 14 Nov 2026Asset ranks captured 14 Nov 2026Snapshot & methodology ↗

01 / THE PURPOSE

What is The Open Network (TON) for?

TON supports payments and applications across a hierarchy of workchains and shards. The blockchain name remains The Open Network; the current CMC token name is Gram (GRAM).

02 / THE ARCHITECTURE

Three questions about the machinery.

How does it agree?

Consensus & security

Validators secure the proof-of-stake network and coordinate shard activity. Splitting work across shards changes processing organization, not the need for correct validation.

Where do instructions run?

Execution model

Contracts run in the TON Virtual Machine and communicate through messages. Workchains can be subdivided into shardchains as activity changes, with account state organized within that hierarchy.

What is the token for?

GRAM in the system

GRAM is the native asset for network fees and staking. Older documentation and wallet interfaces may still refer to Toncoin or TON; a ticker match alone is not sufficient asset identification.

03 / THE DESIGN CHOICES

What comes with the design?

Each architecture makes choices about security, performance, coordination, and who can participate.

Applications must handle message failures and multi-step execution carefully.
Telegram integration is an access channel, not a guarantee of a wallet, token or application’s safety.

04 / IN PRACTICE

Follow one use.

Illustrative: a token transfer can generate messages between contracts. Checking only the first submitted transaction may miss whether the final recipient-side action completed.

05 / CHECK THE EXPLANATION

Sources & snapshot.

Network descriptions use the references below. The CoinMarketCap snapshot determines which assets are in scope and their captured rank; it does not assess the quality of a network.

TON · Sharding TON
TON · Foundations TON
TON · Current network and token naming TON
TON · Blockchain nodes overview TON
CoinMarketCap top 100 snapshot Captured 14 Nov 2026 · See the complete scope audit
Gram (prev. Toncoin) (GRAM) on CoinMarketCap Captured asset rank #26

Profile checked 14 Nov 2026. Network designs and ranked positions can change.