Telegram Rolls a Wallet Into 1B DMs: Gram's Non-Custodial Comeback Tour 🎒

Telegram plans to roll out a native non-custodial Gram wallet across its messaging app this summer, according to a Wednesday post from founder Pavel Durov, potentially bringing self-custody crypto payments to more than 1 billion monthly active users. Durov said the wallet would allow users to send cryptocurrency instantly and without fees, calling it the "largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history." Telegram has not disclosed a firm launch date or additional technical details.

Telegram surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2025, according to the company, giving the wallet a potential reach beyond most standalone crypto applications. Even limited adoption among that user base could expand access to self-custody and peer-to-peer crypto payments.

The wallet announcement follows The Open Network's plans to rename its native token from Toncoin to Gram. The change revives the cryptocurrency's original name from Telegram's 2018 white paper, with Durov describing the move as a return to the project's roots. Telegram has increasingly backed the TON ecosystem since abandoning its original blockchain project following a 2020 settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The network said the Gram rebrand is part of a broader roadmap to expand crypto services and Web3 functionality within Telegram.