From Toncoin to Gram: TON’s Own Coin and Its Return to Telegram
Telegram’s chain, and a coin renamed Gram in 2026
Gram (GRAM) is the own coin of the TON blockchain (The Open Network), and until June 2026 it was called Toncoin (TON). Born at the Telegram messenger, TON was cut loose from it, then drawn back in.
1. Born at Telegram, raised by a community
TON was designed around 2017 by Telegram’s founders, the brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov. In 2018 Telegram raised large sums by pre-selling a coin called ‘Gram’, but the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) treated the sale as an unregistered securities offering and blocked the launch in 2019. In 2020 Telegram withdrew and agreed to return most of the money.
A community and the TON Foundation then relaunched the network from the published code, naming its coin Toncoin; legally, it is distinct from the Gram Telegram had tried to sell. On the Crypto Nation map, GRAM is the city-hall tower of TON City, because it is the chain’s own coin.
2. Shards and faster consensus
TON is a proof-of-stake chain (validators who lock up coins make blocks) with a coordinating ‘masterchain’ above other chains that can split into smaller shards when traffic rises. Tokens follow a standard called Jetton, and half of all transaction fees are burned while the rest go to validators.
In April 2026 the ‘Catchain 2.0’ upgrade rewrote the consensus process (how validators agree on blocks), cutting the time between blocks from about 2.5 seconds to under one second. In May base fees were cut sharply, making very small payments practical for activity inside Telegram.
3. A blockchain inside Telegram
TON’s biggest feature is its link to Telegram’s huge user base. A wallet and ‘mini apps’ inside Telegram fuelled game-style tokens such as Notcoin and Hamster Kombat in 2024, the year Tether began issuing USDT on TON. The coin is also used for Telegram usernames and ad-revenue payouts, and since 2025 Telegram mini apps must use TON for blockchain features.
In May 2026 Pavel Durov said Telegram would take over the TON Foundation’s main operating role and become the network’s largest validator. After a community vote from 1 to 8 June, Toncoin became Gram (GRAM), the name in the original white paper, on 15 June. The network is still called TON, and balances, addresses and contracts did not change.
4. Things to know
Telegram’s bigger role raises concerns that decision-making and validation are concentrating in one company, and the network depends heavily on a single platform. Pavel Durov’s case in France, where he was arrested in August 2024, is also unresolved.
Early ownership was concentrated, and early-miner wallets frozen by a 2023 community vote are scheduled to unlock in 2027. The rename also brought scams offering to ‘swap TON for GRAM’; official guidance says no swap is needed.
Written from information public up to October 2026. It does not recommend or rate any coin and is not investment advice. If something is wrong, please tell us through the contact page.