- Trending
- Comments
- Latest
Telegram began rolling out Gram, a native, non-custodial wallet for peer-to-peer crypto transactions, to a limited group of users on Aug. 31, 2026, with plans to reach its 1 billion-plus user base within weeks, founder Pavel Durov said. The company simultaneously rebranded its existing “Wallet in Telegram” trading service as Walt.
The Gram wallet is being introduced in two stages, with the first phase providing access to a select and limited number of Telegram users.
A broader rollout is expected to follow over the coming weeks, eventually extending the service to Telegram’s global user base of more than one billion people.
The wallet has been positioned as a permissionless, peer-to-peer service focused on fast transactions and direct user control over digital assets. Unlike custodial platforms, the Gram wallet is designed to operate as a self-custodial service, meaning users retain responsibility for their assets rather than placing them under the direct custody of a centralized intermediary.
Its integration into Telegram also allows cryptocurrency transfers to take place within the messaging environment, bringing payments and ecosystem transactions closer to the platform’s existing social features.
The Gram wallet will operate as the default self-custodial service through Telegram’s settings, according to the original report. Users whose accounts have been activated will be able to access the service directly within the application.
The structure reflects Telegram’s effort to make crypto functionality more closely integrated with its messaging ecosystem while maintaining a distinction between simple wallet functions and more complex trading services.
Alongside the Gram wallet launch, Telegram has renamed its “Wallet in Telegram” bot, known as @wallet, as Walt.
The rebranding is intended to establish a clearer boundary between Telegram’s wallet and social ecosystem and its dedicated financial and trading hub.
While the Gram wallet focuses on peer-to-peer transfers and self-custody, Walt operates as a broader multi-chain financial ecosystem. According to the original report, the platform supports trading across more than 200 assets and four blockchains.
Its wider range of services includes more than 300 crypto tokens, tokenized stocks, exchange-traded funds, yield-generating programs and perpetual futures trading.
The separation gives the two services distinct roles within Telegram’s broader digital asset strategy. The Gram wallet is positioned around payments, transfers and ecosystem purchases, while Walt serves users seeking access to a more comprehensive range of trading and investment products.
Walt will be accessible through Telegram’s search bar, creating a separate entry point from the self-custodial wallet available through the app’s settings.
According to the original report, the restructuring also supports compliance considerations in Europe, including requirements associated with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, or MiCA.
The launch of the Gram wallet and the Walt rebrand form part of a broader initiative associated with Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s “Make TON Great Again,” or MTONGA, strategy.
The seven-step roadmap is aimed at strengthening the network’s role as Telegram’s primary application and financial layer.
One of the earlier developments under that broader direction occurred in June, when the TON community transformed the TON network into gram, restoring the GRAM identity referenced in the original report.
The move represented a return to the token’s earlier identity after regulatory developments involving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had previously forced changes to the project’s original structure and branding.
The Gram wallet now represents another step in bringing that identity closer to Telegram’s core platform, particularly through a native service that combines messaging with crypto payments and ecosystem transactions.
The developments also come as Telegram continues to redefine its crypto strategy following what the original report described as a partial move away from its earlier relationship with the TON ecosystem.
By separating self-custody and social payments from trading activity, Telegram appears to be creating distinct products for different types of crypto users within the same application.
The market reacted positively to the developments, with GRAM rising 3.67% during the day to trade at $1.40, according to market data cited in the original report.
However, the token’s monthly performance remained comparatively modest. GRAM posted gains of 1.08% over the month, well below Bitcoin’s reported 26% increase during the same period.
The difference highlights the challenge facing the ecosystem as Telegram expands the Gram wallet and related crypto services to a potentially massive audience.
A successful broader rollout could increase the practical use cases available to GRAM by connecting the token with payments, transfers and purchases inside one of the world’s largest messaging platforms. At the same time, the long-term impact will depend on how widely users adopt the new wallet and how effectively Telegram manages the distinction between its self-custodial services and its broader trading infrastructure.
For now, the launch of the Gram wallet and the transformation of Wallet in Telegram into Walt signal a significant restructuring of Telegram’s crypto offerings, with each product taking on a more clearly defined role.
As access expands beyond the initial group of users, the Gram wallet will become a key test of whether Telegram can turn its enormous messaging audience into active users of integrated, self-custodial digital asset services.
Copyright © 2025 - The Bit Gazette.
