Telegram is integrating a commission-free crypto wallet into all of its apps

Telegram has launched the non-custodial crypto wallet Gram Wallet—it is currently available to a limited number of users. This was announced by the messaging app’s co-founder, Pavel Durov, who is listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia.

Over the next few weeks, access to the wallet is planned to be gradually expanded. Ultimately, the service is expected to cover Telegram’s entire audience, which exceeds one billion users.

Gram Wallet is built on a smart contract approved by validators. According to Durov, this architecture will allow the wallet to be updated without complex and time-consuming migrations between versions.

The main difference between this non-custodial solution and conventional crypto services is that control over assets and keys remains directly in the user’s hands, rather than being transferred to a centralized platform. Durov positions Gram Wallet precisely as an attempt to make this model accessible to a broad audience.

The wallet was announced on July 21. At the time, Durov wrote that this summer would see «the largest non-custodial crypto wallet rollout in history,» and that instant, commission-free transactions for more than a billion users «are about to become a reality.» He also promised to integrate the Gram Wallet into every Telegram app.