Pavel Durov promises zero-fee transfers in 'largest crypto wallet rollout in human history'

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on July 21 that the company will put a native, non-custodial Gram wallet inside all of its apps this summer, giving more than 1 billion users a way to move crypto instantly and without fees. 

Durov stated in his Telegram channel that the rollout will be the largest for a non-custodial crypto wallet in human history.

He also added that the transactions will be instant with zero fees.

Traders are already reacting to the announcement. GRAM, which previously was Toincoin (TON), the token that powers the wallet, went up by over 8% over 24 hours to about $1.53, according to CoinMarketCap data.

What does a non-custodial actually mean here?

A non-custodial wallet leaves the private keys with the user, not the exchange or a third party. If Telegram is breached or goes offline, the funds are not Telegram’s to lose.

The design is in line with Telegram’s leanings toward decentralization.

In May 2020, the SEC forced Telegram to return $1.22 billion to Gram investors and pay an $18.5 million penalty, following a court case that made the messaging platform abandon the TON project. 

Independent developers kept the blockchain alive as The Open Network, and Telegram has since folded it back into its apps.

The Open Network (TON) has since returned to Telegram since January 2025 as its exclusive crypto infrastructure, and the wallet runs on it as well. 

In-app payments and on Telegram already happen via TON. 

When did Durov’s Telegram start using Gram?

GRAM was Toncoin until a rebrand that took effect on June 15, 2026, after community approval. Durov stated then that the “Gram” name is part of his “Make TON Great Again” campaign. The token jumped by 13% following that announcement. The name can be traced back to TON’s original 2018 white paper.

The non-custodial wallet has been live before now; however, it was not available globally. The company launched the wallet to 87 million US users in July 2025. 

The Gram, teased by Durov, will be looking to turn Telegram’s 1 billion users into wallet users once it opens services, which are currently available to only US users, to the rest of the world.

GRAM would also benefit from it, as its volume will also see a considerable rise. How Telegram aims to manage the cost of the zero-fee transfers that Durov teased has not been disclosed.

Durov has not given a firm launch date beyond “this summer.”

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