This Friday we had reported about Telegram deploying their Telegram Open Network (TON) by the end of the third quarter of 2019. There had previously been doubts surrounding the ability of Telegram’s executive brass to execute a crypto project of this magnitude. Although, it appears as though the messaging giant has been successful in testing out an early version of its blockchain and consensus algorithm.
Earlier today they confirmed that the company has created a new programming language for TON. The new language is based on Forth and is called Fift. TON is written in C++ and the smart-contract language (called arbitrary-code) will be written in a “new optimized language, based on Forth”.
Forth is the language of hackers. And a smart-contract at TON is called Arbitrary Code; which is a term used by attackers when they excite a piece of code on the target machine. Because of this, Forth is commonly used on hardware that doesn’t have a traditional operating system. It is also widely used to control machinery and has been used in space exploration
Forth is a high-level programming language, although most versions include an assembler. Forth-system providers often include software tools to help application code make good use of system resources. It is primarily an interpreter and has a command-line interface so that it can be used in real time. But it also has the ability to take sets of code and compile it. So it is something of a hybrid.
In February of this year, Telegram revealed through an investor update that TON was 90% complete. Sources revealed that during its beta testing phase developers were able to set up TON blockchain nodes and test transactions. According to some, Telegram’s Open Network will have to launch by the end of October for token purchase agreements to remain valid.
The launch of TON is being eagerly awaited in the crypto community as Telegram has over 200 million and raised has over $17 billion last year.
Forth is far from being only a “hacker's language”. It is used extensively by NASA for space instrumentation, by outfits like Radeus Labs, Inc. for satellite communications technology, by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Systems for antenna control. Synchronous Optical Networking Multiplexers from GE Digital Energy, programmed in Forth, control much of the North American power grid.