Network
TON uses a family of peer‑to‑peer protocols to propagate blocks and transactions and to run ecosystem services.
In single‑chain blockchains like Bitcoin or Ethereum a simple gossip protocol suffices, but TON runs many shardchains in parallel, so each node subscribes only to the chains it needs. This selective subscription makes TON’s networking efficient and scalable.
Beyond the blockchain itself, the same protocols support TON Proxy, TON Sites, TON DNS, TON Storage and other decentralised applications.
Core protocols
The TON stack includes several complementary protocols; together they enable everything from lightweight datagrams to large data transfers and service discovery.
Abstract Datagram Network Layer (ADNL)
The base peer‑to‑peer transport layer of TON. Each node has an ADNL address that masks its underlying IP, and messages are signed and encrypted. ADNL provides the foundation on which higher‑level protocols like RLDP and the DHT are built.
Learn more in the ADNL section.
Overlay subnetworks
Overlays subdivide the global network by shardchain or service. Instead of broadcasting to all peers, a node connects to a handful of neighbors and forwards messages along those links. Overlay peers are discovered through the DHT.
Learn more in the Overlay section.
Distributed Hash Table (DHT)
The DHT is a distributed lookup service that helps nodes find each other and other resources. It stores key‑value pairs. In its simplest form the key encodes an ADNL address and the value contains an IP/port. DHT replicates those records across multiple nodes for reliability.
Learn more in the DHT section.
Reliable Large Datagram Protocol (RLDP)
RLDP sits on top of ADNL and is used to transfer large chunks of data. It’s the protocol that nodes use to download blocks, move data, and access TON Sites and TON Storage. RLDP can also encapsulate HTTP to handle web requests within the TON network.
Learn more in the RLDP section.