TON Blockchain Faces Disruption Amid Abnormal Load, Validators Called to Restart

• TON blockchain halts block production for 3 hours due to validator issues from high network load.
• Bybit suspends TONcoin transactions, citing instability following a surge in activity from the DOGS memecoin airdrop.
• TONcoin’s price drops 5% as the network struggles with high demand and recent events, including Telegram CEO’s arrest.

The TON blockchain is currently facing a disruption in block production due to an abnormal load on the network. Several validators have been unable to clean old transaction data, leading to a loss of consensus. 

TON Core has called for validators to restart at 4 AM UTC today, aiming to restore consensus and resume normal network operations. Despite the outage, users have been reassured that no cryptocurrency assets will be lost, and transactions will be processed once the issue is resolved.

Block Production Halt and Validator Issues

According to Tonscan, the TON blockchain has not generated any blocks for nearly three hours. The last block was produced at 06:11:46 UTC+8. The ongoing validator issues are attributed to the high load on the network, causing delays and hampering the ability of validators to manage old transactions.

If enough validators restart as requested, the consensus could be restored. This disruption has led to concerns over the network’s stability, as prolonged block production issues can pose risks to security and cause transaction delays.

Bybit Suspends Transactions Due to Network Instability

Bybit, a major cryptocurrency exchange, has suspended all Toncoin (TON) deposits and withdrawals due to the network’s instability. The exchange announced the suspension after TON failed to produce any blocks, citing security concerns. 

Bybit’s decision followed a surge in user activity, causing temporary interruptions in its application, which have now been resolved. This suspension highlights the growing concerns over TON’s ability to handle high levels of network activity, especially following the recent DOGS memecoin airdrop.

Impact of DOGS Airdrop and Market Reaction

The recent airdrop of the DOGS memecoin is believed to have triggered the current issues on the TON blockchain. The popularity of DOGS caused a spike in transactions, overwhelming the network and reducing its transactions per second (TPS) capacity. 

As a result, Toncoin (TON) saw its price drop by 5% late Wednesday. Additionally, the arrest of Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov in France further affected market sentiment, though Telegram and TON remain distinct entities.

The TON blockchain’s challenges in handling high demand have raised questions about its capacity to manage future surges in network activity. However, the situation remains under observation, and efforts are being made to restore normal operations.