TLDR
- Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced a native, non-custodial Gram wallet rolling out this summer
- The wallet will allow instant, fee-free crypto transfers to over 1 billion monthly active users
- Durov called it the “largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history”
- The move follows The Open Network’s rebrand of its token from Toncoin to Gram
- Key details like launch date, supported assets, and security safeguards have not been disclosed
Telegram is planning to launch a built-in crypto wallet this summer that will let users send cryptocurrency instantly and without fees. The wallet will be non-custodial, meaning users control their own funds rather than leaving them with Telegram or a third party.
LATEST: ⚡️ Telegram founder Pavel Durov says the app will roll out a native non-custodial GRAM wallet to its 1B+ users this summer, promising instant, zero-fee transactions. pic.twitter.com/11xSrW2U2o
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) July 21, 2026
Founder Pavel Durov announced the plan on Wednesday via a post on Telegram. He did not give a firm launch date, name supported assets, or explain how Telegram will absorb network costs while offering fee-free transfers.
Telegram passed 1 billion monthly active users in 2025. That gives the Gram wallet a potential audience far larger than most standalone crypto apps.
The wallet will be built directly into the messaging app. Users would not need to download a separate application to send crypto to their contacts.
Telegram has not said whether the wallet will launch globally at once or roll out in phases. The company has also not disclosed recovery options, identity verification requirements, or regional restrictions.
Gram Name Carries History
The Gram name has a complicated past. Telegram raised $1.7 billion from investors in 2018 to fund an original blockchain project that used the same name.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission sued Telegram in 2019, alleging the planned token distribution involved unregistered securities. Under a 2020 settlement, Telegram returned more than $1.2 billion to investors and paid an $18.5 million civil penalty.
Telegram then walked away from the project. Independent developers continued the open-source code, which eventually became The Open Network, known as TON.
Since then, Telegram has gradually brought TON-based services into its app. Advertising on Telegram can be purchased with the network’s token, and creators can receive crypto payments through it.
TON Token Rebrand Preceded the Wallet News
Weeks before the wallet announcement, The Open Network said it would rename its native token from Toncoin to Gram. Durov framed it as a return to the project’s original identity.
The token transition was expected to take about three weeks and did not require holders to swap existing coins. Gram climbed as much as 19% after Durov disclosed the change, reaching $2.21.
TON also introduced an Agentic Wallets standard in April, allowing AI bots operating through Telegram to control user-funded wallets for limited tasks like transfers and token swaps. The Gram wallet and Agentic Wallets serve different purposes, and Telegram has not said whether they will connect.
Durov reported in 2025 that venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital and Benchmark had invested more than $400 million in Toncoin.
Telegram has yet to publish technical documentation for the summer wallet launch.
