Key Highlights
- Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, revealed plans for an integrated, non-custodial Gram wallet arriving summer 2025
- Users will conduct instantaneous crypto transactions without fees across Telegram’s 1 billion+ monthly active user base
- Durov described the initiative as “the largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history”
- This announcement comes after The Open Network rebranded its Toncoin token to Gram
- Critical information including specific launch timing, compatible cryptocurrencies, and security protocols remains undisclosed
Telegram is gearing up to introduce an integrated cryptocurrency wallet this summer, enabling its user base to transfer digital assets instantaneously without transaction fees. The solution will operate on a non-custodial model, ensuring users maintain complete control over their assets without relying on Telegram or external custodians.
Pavel Durov, the company’s founder, made the announcement Wednesday through a Telegram post. The disclosure omitted concrete details regarding the official launch date, which cryptocurrencies will receive support, and the mechanism through which Telegram plans to eliminate network fees for users.
With Telegram surpassing 1 billion monthly active users in 2025, the Gram wallet stands to reach an audience significantly larger than any independent cryptocurrency application currently available.
Integration will occur natively within the messaging platform. This eliminates the requirement for users to install additional applications when sending cryptocurrency to their connections.
Telegram has remained silent on whether the wallet will debut simultaneously worldwide or implement a staged regional rollout. Additional details concerning account recovery mechanisms, identity verification protocols, and geographical limitations have yet to be revealed.
The Gram Brand’s Complex Background
The Gram identifier carries a multifaceted history. In 2018, Telegram secured $1.7 billion in investor funding to develop an original blockchain initiative bearing the identical name.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission initiated legal action against Telegram in 2019, claiming the proposed token distribution constituted unregistered securities offerings. A 2020 settlement required Telegram to refund over $1.2 billion to investors and remit an $18.5 million civil fine.
Telegram subsequently abandoned the venture. The open-source codebase was maintained by independent developers, ultimately evolving into The Open Network, commonly referred to as TON.
Following this transition, Telegram has progressively integrated TON-based functionality into its platform. The network’s token can be utilized to purchase advertising space on Telegram, while content creators have the option to receive compensation in cryptocurrency through the system.
Token Rebranding Preceded Wallet Announcement
Several weeks prior to unveiling the wallet plans, The Open Network announced its native token would transition from Toncoin to Gram. Durov positioned this change as reclaiming the project’s founding identity.
The rebranding process was projected to span approximately three weeks, requiring no action from existing token holders. Following Durov’s revelation, Gram experienced a surge of up to 19%, achieving a price of $2.21.
In April, TON launched an Agentic Wallets standard, enabling artificial intelligence bots operating within Telegram to manage user-funded wallets for specific functions including transfers and token exchanges. The Gram wallet and Agentic Wallets address distinct use cases, with Telegram providing no indication of potential integration between the two systems.
During 2025, Durov disclosed that prominent venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital and Benchmark had committed over $400 million in Toncoin investments.
Technical documentation outlining the summer wallet launch specifications has not yet been released by Telegram.
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