Telegram Launches Native Gram Wallet: Non-Custodial Wallet Reaching Over 1 Billion Users

Pavel Durov announced the launch of Gram Wallet—a new basic non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet built directly into Telegram. Developed with deep integration into The Open Network (TON) blockchain, the tool promises instant, fee-free transactions. The service is currently rolling out in test mode, with access expanding to a global audience of over 1 billion users over the next two weeks.

Native Integration and Migration-Free Architecture

Unlike previous web bots and third-party mini-apps, Gram Wallet is a native part of the Telegram ecosystem and will appear directly in the app’s main settings menu.

According to smart contract documentation on GitHub, the wallet leverages a unique WalletTg architecture under the hood:

• Trampoline contracts: Only a lightweight, immutable redirect script is deployed on each user’s account;
• Shared bytecode on the blockchain: The core wallet logic is loaded directly into the global TON network configuration under Config -123;
• Seamless updates: When new features are added, network validators vote to accept the updated code, instantly activating improvements for all users without requiring manual asset transfers to new addresses.

To prepare for the influx of hundreds of millions of users, TON validators also activated Config 30, increasing the blockchain’s overall throughput by 30%.

Fee-Free Transfers and a Payments Ecosystem

The wallet focuses on streamlining user experience: sending funds between contacts functions much like sending regular text messages.

The smart contract architecture is optimized for gasless transactions—a mechanism where network fees are subsidized by the platform or third-party services, eliminating the need for newcomers to buy crypto ahead of time for gas fees. Telegram plans to natively integrate two-factor authentication (2FA) and recurring subscription payments into the wallet in the future.

Split Between Basic Gram Wallet and Walt Exchange Platform

At the same time, Telegram is restructuring its financial services.

According to Cointelegraph, the existing Wallet in Telegram bot is rebranding to Walt:

• Gram Wallet: A lightweight native tool for instant in-chat settlements, digital goods purchases, and P2P transfers;
• Walt: An advanced multi-chain hub for experienced traders and investors, supporting over 300 tokens across four networks, tokenized stocks, precious metals, and perpetual futures.

🚨 Pavel Durov annonce que Gram Wallet est désormais prêt et accessible à un premier groupe restreint d’utilisateurs.

Il sera progressivement intégré directement dans Telegram au cours des prochaines semaines, avec l’objectif de toucher plus d’un milliard d’utilisateurs.

Gram… pic.twitter.com/mStrcs8M8O

— Goku 🗞 (@Crypto__Goku) August 31, 2026

Return of a Legendary Name: Why Toncoin Became Gram

The wallet’s name calls back to the historical roots of Telegram’s blockchain project. In the summer of 2026, the community voted to rename Toncoin back to Gram (with 81.22% of validators supporting the historic ticker GRAM).

The transformation is purely technical: user balances were converted to GRAM 1:1 without requiring any swaps or exchanges.

Seven years after regulatory bans halted its initial plans, Telegram has completed the development cycle of its native Web3 infrastructure, turning the app into the world’s largest platform for mass adoption of non-custodial crypto payments.