Telegram Introduces Gram Wallet as Default, Walt Rebranded
Telegram has begun rolling out its native Gram Wallet across the messaging app, making the self-custodial service the default wallet in user settings, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph. The release is phased, with Telegram CEO Pavel Durov confirming in a Telegram post that the company had started giving selected users access before expanding availability. "We'll be gradually rolling it out to our billion+ users over the next couple of weeks," he said.
The Gram Wallet is built directly into Telegram and uses a self-custodial structure, allowing users to control their assets rather than relying on a centralized service provider. Durov said Telegram plans to support instant, zero-fee transactions through the wallet, enabling users to send funds, make payments, and purchase products or services inside the app. The wallet will also support Telegram Collectibles, including digital gifts, usernames, and phone numbers.
Alongside the new wallet, Telegram's existing Wallet service has been rebranded as Walt. Walt will no longer serve as the default crypto wallet and will instead be accessible through search. According to the announcement, Gram wallet will focus on payments, transfers, and purchases across Telegram, while Walt will offer broader crypto services including trading, investing, and support for assets across multiple blockchains.
Walt's Expanded Services and Connection to Gram
Walt's rebrand reflects its growth beyond its origins as a simple wallet for buying Toncoin (now Gram). Andrew Rogozov, founder and CEO of The Open Platform (TOP) and Walt, said, "We started as a simple wallet for buying TON, but over the past four years we've grown into a full-scale crypto platform inside Telegram, launching Earn, real-world assets and perpetual trading."
Walt supports deposits, holdings, and withdrawals for more than 300 crypto assets across four blockchains, alongside trading in more than 200. The platform also offers more than 100 tokenized stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and metals, as well as perpetual trading across more than 70 assets, including cryptocurrencies, oil, natural gas, and metals.
The two services remain connected, with Walt allowing users to make multichain crypto deposits to Gram wallet. Durov's initial tease of Gram wallet came in July, when he said the company planned to bring a native non-custodial wallet to every Telegram app.
Market Reaction: GRAM Rebounds, Volume Surges
Around the announcement, GRAM's price rebounded toward $1.40, and trading volume jumped about 137%, as reported by Crypto News. The token had previously gained nearly 19% in early June when Durov first disclosed plans to rename Toncoin to Gram, reaching about $2.21 before giving back part of the move.
The wallet launch comes about two and a half months after Toncoin officially became Gram. The blockchain retained The Open Network name, while its native asset changed from Toncoin and the TON ticker to Gram and GRAM. A guide to the rebrand published in June explained that the change did not create a new token or require a swap, with wallet balances, addresses, smart contracts, and staking positions remaining in place.
Context: SEC Settlement and Independent Network Development
The rollout also carries historical context. The S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Telegram in 2019, alleging that its $1.7 billion fundraising arrangement and planned token distribution formed an unregistered securities offering. A federal court later blocked the distribution, and Telegram settled the case in 2020. According to an SEC commissioner's account, the settlement included $1.2 billion in disgorgement for returning money to purchasers, along with an $18.5 million civil penalty.
After Telegram left the original project, independent developers continued working on the open-source network. The current GRAM token is the renamed native asset of the network that emerged from that independent development.
Phased Rollout and User Reach
Telegram reported more than 1 billion monthly active users in 2025. Durov has not disclosed an adoption target for Gram Wallet or specified how many users received access during the first phase. According to Durov, network validators approved the smart contract that powers the wallet before the rollout began, and its design allows developers to upgrade the product without forcing users to transfer their holdings to a replacement contract. Telegram has not said whether every feature will be available in all countries when the phased release is completed.
Technical indicators suggested that despite the rebound, bearish momentum had not fully cleared, with the Awesome Oscillator remaining below zero at approximately minus 0.029, as reported by Crypto News.