Telegram is preparing to launch a new cryptocurrency wallet

Pavel Durov announced that this summer, Telegram will introduce a built-in non-custodial crypto wallet in every version of the app. More than a billion monthly active users of the messaging app will be able to send cryptocurrency instantly and without any fees—just as easily as sending a regular text message.

The new wallet will be based on Gram—the native token of The Open Network blockchain, which until recently was called Toncoin. The non-custodial format means that the keys to the funds are stored by the user themselves, not by a third party. No one can freeze, seize, or block a transaction without the owner’s knowledge.

The difference from what’s already available in Telegram is fundamental. The existing @wallet bot, with over 150 million registered users, operates primarily in a custodial mode and was developed by a separate company, The Open Platform, rather than by Telegram itself. The new wallet will be built directly into the app and, by default, will give users full control over their funds. Durov has not yet disclosed a number of details: whether the new tool will replace @wallet or exist alongside it, what assets it will support besides Gram, and what key management will look like for people with no experience in cryptocurrencies.

Durov called the announcement «the world’s largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history.» The comparison seems justified: MetaMask, the most popular self-custodial wallet, has tens of millions of users—no crypto project has ever launched with a user base of one billion people.

Following the news, the Gram token rose by about 7%, climbing to $ 1.52 with a market capitalization of $ 4.18 billion. This partially offset the 25% drop the token experienced throughout July. However, it is still far from last year’s levels: the Gram remains 88% below its May 2026 peak of $ 2.89, and its all-time high of $ 8.25, recorded in June 2024 during the boom in «tap-to-earn» games on Telegram, seems completely out of reach in the short term.

The token’s history is fraught with conflicts. In 2018, Telegram raised $ 1.7 billion to develop its network and a token called Gram, but in 2020, after losing a lawsuit filed by the SEC over the unregistered sale of securities, the company returned $ 1.2 billion to investors and paid a $ 18.5 million fine. The network, known as Toncoin, was maintained by the developer community until 2026, when Durov once again took personal control of the project. In June, following a vote in which 81% of participants supported the rebranding, the coin reverted to its original name, Gram.

For small businesses and retailers, the built-in wallet opens up a payment channel with an audience of one billion people and zero commission—no card network can offer anything like this. Durov has not yet announced a specific launch date, limiting himself to saying «this summer.»