Overview
- Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, revealed that a native non-custodial Gram wallet will launch this summer, aiming to provide instant, fee-free crypto transactions for over 1 billion users.
- The announcement triggered a nearly 7% rise in the value of Gram, Telegram's cryptocurrency.
- Despite the surge, Gram remains significantly lower than its peak, currently down 88% from its May highs.
Pavel Durov has a significant commitment to fulfill before the summer concludes. On Tuesday, he disclosed that Telegram—comparable to WhatsApp but with over 1 billion active users—will introduce a native non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet across all app versions, enabling instant, zero-fee crypto transactions for its users.
This wallet will be designed to accommodate Telegram’s in-house cryptocurrency, Gram, previously referred to as Toncoin. A non-custodial wallet implies that users retain control of their private keys, similar to carrying cash, thus preventing any external entity from freezing or seizing funds without user consent.
Currently, Telegram features a Wallet bot (@wallet), which has over 150 million registered users but operates partly in custodial mode, meaning the company holds the keys. Durov's upcoming wallet will shift this dynamic.
One crucial distinction between the announced wallet and the existing @wallet is that the latter is managed by The Open Platform, a separate entity. The new wallet will be integrated directly into Telegram, eliminating the need for users to find and activate it separately.
🌍 This summer marks the largest launch of a non-custodial crypto wallet in history.
⚡️ Instant zero-fee crypto transactions for over a billion users are on the horizon.
We're introducing a native non-custodial Gram wallet to every Telegram app! 💎
— Pavel Durov (@durov) July 21, 2026
While the existing @wallet defaults to custodial mode, users must intentionally switch to a self-custody option; conversely, the new wallet will be non-custodial from the outset. Details regarding whether this wallet will replace or coexist with @wallet, which additional assets it may support beyond Gram, and how key management will be handled for new users remain undisclosed.
Durov has termed this initiative "the largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history." This claim is theoretically plausible, as Metamask, the leading self-custody wallet, has tens of millions of users, but nothing has ever launched with a billion-user base from day one in the crypto sector.
Gram, Toncoin, price data. Image: TradingviewTo grasp the significance of this development, one must consider the background. Telegram initiated the original network in 2018, raising $1.7 billion from investors for a token named Gram. However, the SEC intervened, claiming these tokens were unregistered securities.
In 2020, Telegram settled, reimbursing $1.2 billion to investors, incurring an $18.5 million civil penalty, and ultimately abandoning the project. Community developers preserved the chain as Toncoin for several years until Durov resumed control in 2026.
In June, the rebranding from Toncoin to Gram was executed after an 81% community vote, reinstating the name Durov originally envisioned in 2018. The announcement of the wallet is the next phase in what he has termed "Make TON Great Again."
The TON blockchain has been upgraded and is now 10× faster.
The block rate has increased by 6×.
Transactions are now instantaneous, completed in less than a second.
This was just the first of seven steps to Make TON Great Again (MTONGA).
Next, we aim to reduce the already low transaction fees by 6×.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) April 9, 2026
A built-in wallet will allow average Telegram users to send cryptocurrency as effortlessly as sending a text message—eliminating the need for exchange accounts, bank transfers, or third-party fees. This also provides small businesses and retailers with a payment channel that reaches a billion users with no transaction fees, an advantage unmatched by any card network. However, the investment outlook remains complex.
For those considering buying in response to the news, it's advisable to take a broader perspective and be ready to hold onto tokens for an extended period.
Gram, Toncoin, price data. Image: TradingviewGram's 200-day exponential moving average—a long-term trend signal—indicates that the broader trend is still bearish, as it is significantly above the current price. The all-time high of $8.25, achieved in June 2024 during Telegram's gaming boom, remains a distant target. The more immediate goal, the $2.89 peak from May 2026 when Telegram announced its acquisition of the network, would necessitate an 88% increase from the current price.
No specific launch date has been provided other than "this summer."