Telegram Bets on Gram Wallet to Bring Crypto to the Masses
Telegram plans to integrate a native, non-custodial Gram wallet directly into its messaging app, bringing cryptocurrency transfers to more than 1 billion users and significantly expanding the reach of The Open Network (TON) ecosystem.
Summary:
- Telegram will roll out a built-in, non-custodial Gram wallet across its applications.
- The wallet is designed to enable instant, zero-fee cryptocurrency transfers within chats.
- The launch follows the ecosystem’s rebranding from Toncoin back to Gram.
- GRAM rose after the announcement, while traders continue monitoring an upcoming token unlock later this month.
Telegram Brings Self-Custody to Its Messaging Platform
The new wallet will be integrated directly into Telegram’s interface rather than requiring users to download a separate application, allowing cryptocurrency transfers to take place inside conversations.
Unlike custodial wallets offered by many exchanges and financial platforms, the Gram wallet is designed as a non-custodial solution. Users will retain control of their private keys, meaning only they can authorize transactions or access their funds. That approach reduces counterparty risk while giving users full ownership of their digital assets regardless of the platform’s operational status.
According to Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov announcement, the rollout is expected to begin this summer and will support instant, zero-fee transfers, with network costs subsidized through the broader ecosystem. If deployed across Telegram’s global user base, the launch would represent one of the largest distributions of a self-custodied cryptocurrency wallet through a mainstream consumer application.
The integration also deepens Telegram’s relationship with The Open Network, whose infrastructure has increasingly become the foundation for blockchain services delivered through the messaging platform.
Rollout Builds on Gram Rebranding
The wallet launch follows a broader restructuring of the ecosystem completed earlier this year.
In June, the community approved the transition from Toncoin back to the historical Gram branding, reviving the name originally introduced during Telegram’s early blockchain initiative before regulatory challenges forced the company to step away from direct development.
Although Telegram no longer directly controls the blockchain, the messaging platform has gradually expanded its support for TON-based services, including digital payments, mini apps and blockchain integrations. The native wallet represents another step toward embedding cryptocurrency functionality into everyday user activity rather than limiting it to specialized crypto applications.
For developers, the integration could also reduce friction when building payment-enabled applications inside Telegram, allowing digital assets to become part of a broader ecosystem that already includes games, marketplaces and digital services.
Token Unlock Presents Near-Term Supply Test
While the announcement improved market sentiment, investors are also monitoring an important supply event scheduled for later this month.
According to Coinglass, approximately 2.8 million GRAM are expected to enter circulation through a planned token unlock. Such events often attract attention because they increase the amount of tradable supply and can create short-term selling pressure if early investors or ecosystem participants decide to realize gains.
READ MORE: Chainlink Expands Role in Central Bank Digital Asset Projects
Whether additional supply is absorbed smoothly may depend on demand generated by Telegram’s expanding blockchain strategy. A successful wallet rollout could strengthen long-term adoption by exposing cryptocurrency features to hundreds of millions of users who have never interacted with a self-custody wallet before.
Technical Momentum Improves Following Announcement
GRAM rose 6% after the announcement, recovering to around $1.53 and extending a rebound that began after the recent ecosystem developments.
The latest rally pushed the token back above the psychologically important $1.50 level while lifting the Relative Strength Index (RSI) to around 60, reflecting strengthening bullish momentum without yet entering overbought territory.
Even so, the broader chart suggests buyers still face several technical hurdles before confirming a sustained trend reversal. The area between $1.55 and $1.60 represents the first meaningful resistance zone after several failed recovery attempts over recent weeks. A decisive move above that range could shift attention toward $1.70, where sellers previously regained control earlier this month.
On the downside, the recent breakout leaves $1.45 as the first area of support. Holding above that level would suggest buyers continue defending the latest gains, while a break below it could expose the token to another test of the $1.40 region.
For now, traders appear to be balancing two competing catalysts: the long-term adoption potential created by Telegram’s wallet rollout and the near-term increase in circulating supply expected from the upcoming token unlock. Together, those developments are likely to remain the primary drivers of GRAM’s price action over the coming weeks.
The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or trading advice. Coinspress.com does not promote or advocate for any particular investment strategy, asset, or cryptocurrency project. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and unpredictable – always perform your own research and seek guidance from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coinspress and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
