TON Sharding

TON Sharding is the method TON uses to divide its blockchain into smaller, interconnected chains—shardchains—so the network can process many more transactions while preserving security and decentralisation.

Hybrid architecture of TON#

TON’s blockchain consists of three hierarchical layers:

• Masterchain – a single chain that stores protocol parameters, validator stakes, and the state of all workchains and shardchains.
• Workchains – up to 232 parallel chains that handle core transactions such as value transfers and smart‑contract execution.
• Shardchains – up to 260 subdivisions within each workchain, distributing the workload to reduce congestion.

The masterchain, workchains, and shardchains together form a hybrid structure that combines a single source of truth with massive parallelism.

Core sharding technologies#

Infinite Merging Paradigm

TON splits the global state into many account shards—virtual mini‑chains that represent individual accounts or contracts. These shards exchange state‑changing messages in real time, allowing the network to scale without sacrificing consistency.

Instant Hypercube Routing

Blocks are routed between shardchains via an instant hypercube routing mechanism that operates independently of the total number of active shards, ensuring low latency communication across the network.

Dynamic sharding

The network automatically adjusts the number of active shardchains based on transaction volume:

• High activity – shards are added to maintain throughput.
• Low activity – shards are merged to conserve resources while keeping speed and security stable.

Performance and the blockchain trilemma#

TON aims to balance the three pillars of the blockchain trilemma—security, decentralisation, and scalability. The protocol reports a peak throughput of 104,715 transactions per second.

This performance places TON among the fastest public blockchains, while its hybrid architecture preserves decentralisation (more nodes increase security) and scalability (sharding expands capacity).

Comparative perspective#

Integration with Telegram#

TON uniquely integrates with the Telegram ecosystem, allowing users to send and receive TON transactions directly within the messenger app. This seamless experience lowers the barrier to entry and encourages broader adoption.

See also#

• TON Blockchain Architecture
• The Open Network
• TON Connect