Gram gains 7% as Telegram announces native wallet for 1B users
Telegram’s plan to embed a non-custodial crypto wallet for over a billion users could reshape retail digital payments, though the token's price remains stuck in a broader bearish trend.
Telegram will integrate a native, non-custodial crypto wallet into its application for its more than one billion monthly active users this summer. Founder Pavel Durov announced the move on Tuesday, stating the goal is to provide instant, zero-fee crypto transactions directly within the messaging interface. The wallet will hold the network’s native token, Gram, which was formerly known as Toncoin.
The market response was restrained despite the sheer scale of the announcement. Gram climbed roughly 7% to trade above $1.52, giving it a $4.18 billion market capitalization and partially offsetting a 25% July slump. However, the token remains in a confirmed downtrend, trading 88% below its May peak of $2.89 and sitting well below its 200-day exponential moving average.
The integration represents a significant operational shift from Telegram’s current crypto infrastructure. The existing @wallet bot, operated by a separate entity called The Open Platform, has 150 million registered users but defaults to a custodial model where the company holds the keys. A native, non-custodial wallet bakes the technology directly into the app, allowing users to retain sole control of their funds without relying on a third party.
For merchants and retail users, the infrastructure could enable crypto transfers as frictionless as sending a text message. A payment channel with zero transaction fees and immediate access to a billion-person user base presents a direct competitive challenge to traditional card networks. "This summer will see the largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history," Durov wrote.
The move marks Durov’s most aggressive re-entry into digital assets since US regulators derailed the project’s 2018 inception. Telegram originally raised $1.7 billion for the Gram token before the SEC sued, arguing the tokens were unregistered securities. Telegram settled in 2020, returning $1.2 billion to investors and paying an $18.5 million civil penalty. After community developers maintained the chain as Toncoin, Durov resumed control in 2026 and oversaw a rebrand back to Gram in June following an 81% community vote.
Significant execution risks remain before the rollout is complete. Telegram has not set a firm launch date beyond the summer, nor has it detailed how private key management will function for mainstream users unfamiliar with self-custody. It is also unclear whether the native wallet will support assets beyond Gram or how it will coexist with the existing third-party @wallet bot.
