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Smart contract addresses

Every interaction on TON Blockchain occurs between smart contracts, each identified by a unique address. This section explains how these addresses are structured and why they are fundamental to the TON architecture.

Everything is a smart contract​

TON implements the actor model, where all entities, including wallets, are smart contracts. Each actor:

  • processes incoming messages
  • updates its internal state
  • generates outgoing messages

As a result, every actor must have a unique address to ensure the correct message routing.

For Ethereum developers

Unlike the EVM, where addresses and contracts are separate, TON unifies them: every address points to a contract. Learn more in the article: "Six unique aspects of TON Blockchain that will surprise Solidity developers" - Tal Kol.

Smart contract address​

Smart contract addresses on TON consist of two main components:

  • workchain_id: the WorkChain ID (signed 32-bit integer).
  • account_id: the address of the account (64-512 bits, depending on the WorkChain).

WorkChain ID​

TON Blockchain supports up to 2^32 unique WorkChains, each with its own rules. The 32-bit workchain_id prefix in smart contract addresses ensures interoperability, allowing contracts to send and receive messages across different WorkChains.

Currently, two WorkChains are active:

  • MasterChain (workchain_id = -1): the central coordinating chain.
  • BaseChain (workchain_id = 0): the default WorkChain for most operations.

Both use 256-bit addresses for accounts.

Account ID​

All account IDs on TON use 256-bit addresses on the MasterChain and BaseChain (also referred to as the basic WorkChain).

An account ID (account_id) is defined as the result of applying a hash function to a smart contract object. Every smart contract operating on TON Blockchain stores two main components:

  1. Compiled code. The contract logic in bytecode.
  2. Initial data. The contract's values at the moment it is deployed on-chain.

The contract’s address is derived by calculating the hash of the (initial code, initial data) pair:

account_id = hash(initial code, initial data)

Summary​

  • Every actor is a smart contract, each with a unique address for message routing.
  • Address structure:
    • workchain_id (32-bit): identifies the WorkChain.
    • account_id (256-bit): a hash of the contract’s initial code and state.
  • Active WorkChains: MasterChain and BaseChain, both using 256-bit IDs.
  • Flexibility: TON supports up to 2^32 WorkChains, allowing future chains to customize address lengths (64–512 bits).

Next steps​

For more technical details, refer to:

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