Telegram, one of the leading encrypted messaging app has finally released its official testnet for the Telegram Open Network (TON). The news was initially seen on the files posted on test.ton.org on May 30. Telegram has been working on this network since 2017. 

The archive of files are presently available to download on test.ton.org is a distribution of the preliminary version of the TON Blockchain Network client. Also, there are some appropriate portions of the TON Blockchain Library, as per the readme information file. It is mainly a simplified stable version of the Lite Client.

Before a few days, on May 25, one of the users from Ukraine uploaded a version of the client. It this is configured properly; it allows users to connect to a full node for the TON Blockchain Network. Also, it allows users to send some queries to it. 

Besides this, users are allowed to install a configuration file for the smart contract development, which connects the lite client to a special server. Here, users are allowed to form contacts on the platform, audit the state of existing contacts, send external messages to these contacts, and some other things. 

The latest platform uses Fift, a new programming language for TON which was released before a week. Using this language users can compile, execute and debug smart contracts locally. The language is particularly made for developing and managing blockchain smart contracts and incorporating with the TON Virtual Machine.

Telegram has already launched a private beta version of the testnet to a limited number of global developers back in April. However, the private testnet doesn't provide some revolutionary output, two of the anonymous testers disclosed that the transaction speed on the network is extremely fast.

TON Whitepaper describes the future of the platform as:
“TON blockchain can handle millions of transactions per second if necessary, and both user-friendly and service provider-friendly.”

Moreover, it was also noted that the TON's TON Labs has made a partnership with the European Financial Service entity Wirecard with a goal to build a digital financial service, payments, and banking platform.