Sharding in TON
Sharding in TON refers to dividing the blockchain into smaller, manageable pieces, or shards, for scalability. An independent set of validators operates and maintains a shard as a smaller piece of the blockchain.
Validators in separate shards can handle transactions in parallel, ensuring high throughput even as the network grows. This approach unlocks the execution of a massive number of transactions.
In TON, sharding is highly dynamic. Unlike other blockchains with a fixed number of shards, TON can create new shards on demand. Shards split as the transaction load increases, and as the load decreases, they merge. This flexibility ensures the system can adapt to varying workloads while maintaining efficiency.
The MasterChain is crucial in maintaining the network configuration and the final state of all WorkChains and ShardChains. While the MasterChain is responsible for overall coordination, WorkChains operate under their specific rules, each of which can be split further into SharChains. Only one WorkChain - the BaseChain, currently operates on TON.
At the heart of TON's efficiency is the Infinity sharding paradigm, which treats each account as part of its own AccountChain. These AccountChains are then aggregated into ShardChain blocks, facilitating efficient transaction processing.
In addition to dynamically creating shards, TON uses split merge functionality, which allows the network to efficiently respond to changing transaction loads. This system enhances scalability and interaction within the blockchain network, exemplifying TON's approach to resolving typical blockchain challenges with a focus on efficiency and global consistency.