Telegram to Launch Native Non-Custodial Gram Wallet for Over 1 Billion Users This Summer

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the summer 2026 rollout of a native, non-custodial Gram wallet integrated directly into all Telegram apps, targeting over 1 billion users with instant, zero-fee transactions. The move follows the rebranding of Toncoin back to Gram, reviving the token name from Telegram's original blockchain project that was abandoned after a $1.22 billion SEC settlement in 2020. While the news boosted Gram's price by 8% to around $1.53, the token remains 88% below its May peak, and questions remain regarding how Telegram will subsidize the zero-fee transactions.

Telegram Gram wallet rollout

• ▪The native Gram wallet rollout is designed to potentially reach Telegram's user base of over one billion monthly active users
• ▪Telegram previously rolled out a non-custodial TON Wallet to 87 million users in the United States in July 2025
• ▪Telegram plans to roll out a native, non-custodial Gram cryptocurrency wallet across all Telegram applications during the summer of 2026

Toncoin rebrand to Gram

• ▪The rebranding of Toncoin to Gram revived the original token name from Telegram's 2018 blockchain whitepaper
• ▪The Open Network community approved rebranding its native token from Toncoin to Gram, which took effect on June 15, 2026

Non-custodial wallet architecture

• ▪The native Gram wallet will operate as a non-custodial solution where users retain control of their private keys and digital assets
• ▪The native Gram wallet will be integrated directly into the core Telegram application rather than operating as a separate bot like the existing @wallet
• ▪The existing @wallet bot inside Telegram runs partly in custodial mode and is operated by a separate company called The Open Platform.

Zero-fee transfer mechanism

• ▪Pavel Durov announced that the native Gram wallet will support instant cryptocurrency transactions with zero fees
• ▪Telegram has not publicly disclosed how it plans to fund or subsidize the network costs associated with offering zero-fee transactions

Gram price movement

• ▪Following Pavel Durov's wallet announcement on July 21, 2026, the price of Gram rose approximately 7% to 8% to trade around $1.52 to $1.53
• ▪Despite the price increase following the wallet announcement, Gram remained down approximately 88% from its May 2026 peak of $2.89

SEC settlement history

• ▪Following the 2020 SEC settlement, Telegram abandoned its original blockchain project, which independent developers subsequently kept alive under the name The Open Network
• ▪In May 2020, Telegram settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, agreeing to return $1.22 billion to investors and pay an $18.5 million civil penalty