The Open Network (TON) blockchain has successfully resumed its normal operations after a temporary halt in block production. The disruption, which lasted several hours, was attributed to high network congestion following the airdrop of a new TON-based memecoin named Dogs (DOGS). The TON Foundation confirmed on its X page early on August 28 that the network was back online and functioning normally.
The Network Disruption
The block production issues began shortly after the DOGS airdrop, which saw massive user engagement and led to unprecedented network congestion. Validators experienced difficulties with clearing the database of old transactions, resulting in a loss of consensus among network nodes.
- Initial Disruption: The network stopped producing new blocks, causing widespread concern among TON users and stakeholders.
- Validator Intervention: TON Core directed validators to initiate a restart at 4:00 am UTC to restore network consensus.
- Resolution: After several hours, the network resumed normal block production.
Impact and Resolution Measures
The TON Foundation moved swiftly to address the outage, reassuring users that no cryptocurrency assets were at risk. They confirmed that all transactions would be processed, and there would be no loss of digital assets due to the disruption.
- User Engagement: The Dogs memecoin launch led to a significant spike in network activity, reflecting growing interest in the TON ecosystem.
- Telegram Community Growth: The official Dogs Community on Telegram rapidly expanded, reaching nearly 17 million subscribers in just under two months.
- Exchange Listings: Following Pavel Durov‘s arrest, Dogs was listed on major cryptocurrency exchanges, further heightening interest and activity on the TON blockchain.
The massive influx of users claiming DOGS tokens resulted in an extraordinary volume of on-chain transactions. According to Wallet in Telegram—a third-party app facilitating cryptocurrency transactions on Telegram—over four million users claimed their DOGS tokens in one day.
- Peak Transaction Rate: The claim process hit a peak of over 67,000 transactions per second, far exceeding previous records.
- User Activity: Out of the four million claimants, 1.6 million users engaged with their tokens shortly after receiving them, participating in various activities such as token transfers, participation in Wallet Earn campaigns, and trading on the P2P market.
To manage the surge in network activity and maintain stability, Wallet in Telegram temporarily disabled certain features during the claim process. This measure ensured that the service remained stable and responsive despite the high load.
The TON blockchain’s swift recovery from the recent outage underscores the resilience and robust infrastructure of the network. As the platform continues to attract a vast user base, particularly with engaging projects like the Dogs memecoin, the TON Foundation and its community of validators are likely to enhance their coordination and technical capabilities to prevent similar disruptions in the future. The incident also highlights the dynamic interplay between innovative blockchain applications and the technical challenges they can introduce.
