Free TON is an ecosystem that can be used to launch decentralized apps via smart contracts. TON stands for "the open network". The platform was created by the developers that were working on the TON (Telegram Open Network), blockchain platform associated with the messenger Telegram. The launch of Telegram Open Network was aborted but the code of this project was used to start a new multi-functional independent decentralized ecosystem that is called Free TON. Note that there are several other platforms based on the TON source-code out there. In this article we are going to focus on Free TON exclusively.
Cardano is a blockchain-based ecosystem using a currency of the same name (ADA) as a fuel. It is regarded as one of the third-generation blockchain platforms. Currently, Cardano can be used to host smart contracts.