Telegram plans to add a native non-custodial Gram wallet across every version of its messaging application this summer, placing self-custody infrastructure inside a platform with more than 1 billion monthly users.
Founder Pavel Durov announced the rollout through his official Telegram channel and X account on Tuesday, describing it as the largest deployment of a non-custodial crypto wallet to date. He said the integration would support instant, zero-fee transactions inside Telegram.
The wallet will give users direct control over their private keys rather than holding assets through a centralized custodian. Telegram has not released an exact launch date, technical documentation or details explaining how network fees will be covered.
Durov’s wording indicates that the wallet interface will be distributed through Telegram’s applications, giving it potential access to the platform’s full user base. The announcement does not mean all Telegram accounts will automatically become funded or active crypto wallets.
Gram Becomes Telegram’s Native Payment Asset
The product will use Gram, the new name for the token previously traded as Toncoin. The blockchain remains The Open Network, or TON, while its native currency has returned to the Gram name originally used during Telegram’s first blockchain project.
Telegram abandoned its initial Gram launch in 2020 after a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission case blocked distribution of the token sold to private investors. Independent developers continued building the open-source network, which later became TON.
The renewed integration places the Gram brand directly inside Telegram more than six years after the original project was halted.
Gram rose around 7% following Durov’s announcement and traded near $1.53, lifting its market capitalization toward $4 billion. Trading volume also increased as markets priced in wider access to the token through Telegram.
Telegram Expands TON-Based Financial Products
Telegram already supports wallet services, token transfers, mini apps and TON-based payments through integrations built by The Open Platform and other ecosystem developers. The new product would place a self-custodial wallet directly inside the core application rather than requiring users to activate a separate bot or mini app.
Developers have increasingly used Telegram as a distribution layer for financial applications. A Polymarket-powered prediction market launched in June with TON wallets and USDT settlement, allowing users to trade event contracts without leaving the messaging app.
Native wallet access could also support peer-to-peer payments, tipping, token trading and Telegram mini apps using Gram. Durov did not identify which features will be available at launch or whether access will vary by jurisdiction when the rollout begins later this summer.
