TON Debuts ‘Tolk’ Smart Contract Language, Targets Lower Gas Fees and Developer Growth
The TON Foundation has introduced Tolk, a newly developed smart contract language set to become the default for The Open Network (TON). Designed to offer developers a cleaner, more efficient alternative to the older FunC language, Tolk promises significant improvements in cost and usability across DeFi, gaming, and social applications.
What’s New with Tolk:
Tolk is tailored for TON’s unique asynchronous actor-based model and brings a modern programming approach to smart contract creation. It features a more readable syntax, simplified structure, and robust tooling—all while maintaining low-level control for advanced users.
According to the foundation, contracts written in Tolk can use up to 40% less gas than comparable FunC contracts, enabling lower transaction costs and better scalability.
“Tolk marks a new era for TON developers,” said Anatoly Makosov, a core developer at TON. “It combines clarity with performance, addressing long-standing limitations while unlocking new possibilities for high-throughput apps.”
Full Migration and Tooling Support
The launch includes support for existing contract migration and integration with mainstream development environments. TON’s goal: remove friction for builders and accelerate adoption of the network through better infrastructure.
The introduction of Tolk is a central piece of the foundation’s broader initiative to modernize the developer experience, support growing dApp demand, and strengthen TON’s appeal across the Web3 stack.
Price Action: Tolk Launch Coincides with Market Pullback
Despite the Tolk announcement, TON’s native token (TON-USD) posted a decline over the same 24-hour window.
- Decline: TON dropped 2.85%, falling from $3.26 to $3.17 between July 18 and July 19 UTC.
- Range: Intraday trading ranged between $3.16 (low) and $3.31 (high), with a swing of 4.73%.
- Key Levels:
- Support: $3.16 held firm as buyers re-entered, defending the level multiple times.
- Resistance: A selloff at 20:00 UTC, with over 6 million tokens traded, confirmed $3.23 as near-term resistance.
- Volume Trends: Final-hour activity dropped sharply to just 90,006 tokens, suggesting seller fatigue and the potential for price stabilization.
- Late Movement: From 13:09 to 14:08 UTC on July 19, TON fell another 0.81%, momentarily rebounding to $3.18 before slipping again to retest support.
Outlook
Tolk’s debut is a strategic move to streamline smart contract development and reduce operational costs on TON. While short-term price action remains under pressure, the structural upgrade positions the network for stronger ecosystem growth and potential upside if support levels hold and developer traction builds.
