Key Takeaways:
TON blockchain rebranded its native token to Gram, reviving the original name from Telegram's 2018 whitepaper as part of a 7-step revival plan.
Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder, announced the rebranding on June 1, calling it a return to the project's roots. "We're returning to our roots — and starting a new chapter," Durov said.
Gram was the token name during Telegram's initial TON push, which raised $1.7 billion before the SEC intervened in 2020. The community relaunched the project as Toncoin under the TON Foundation after Telegram abandoned it and refunded investors. The transition will take about three weeks, with no token swap or technical changes affecting balances, staking or DeFi positions. TON remains the blockchain's name; only the currency rebrands to Gram.
The rebrand is step 4 of 7 in Durov's "Make TON Great Again" roadmap, following earlier upgrades including Catchain 2.0 for sub-second finality and 6x fee reductions to near-zero. TON previously surged as much as 100% after Durov's May takeover announcements, climbing from about $1.30 to peaks near $2.80 with elevated volume and staking inflows.
Telegram has become TON's largest validator, staking millions of TON, and the messaging app's approximately 1 billion users represent a potential distribution channel for Gram in Mini Apps, payments and creator tools. Durov said the rebrand paves the way for mainstream adoption of Gram as everyday crypto inside the world's leading messaging app. Enhanced developer tools, a revamped ton.org, TON Pay upgrades and Bitcoin liquidity bridges are expected in the coming weeks.
TON Strategy Company, a Nasdaq-listed entity holding Toncoin, reported $356.8 million in digital assets as of Dec. 31, with 219.7 million TON staked generating 2.19 million TON in rewards since August. The company's staking activities contributed $4 million of its $12.8 million in total revenue for 2025, according to its annual filing. Chairman Manuel Stotz described the TON network as "designed for real economic utility and activity inside the Telegram ecosystem."
The rebranding to Gram reconnects the TON blockchain with its original Telegram-associated identity, which could reignite community enthusiasm and attract developers who were originally interested in the Telegram Open Network project. With Telegram driving development directly, the token now carries the branding clarity needed for mass adoption among the messaging platform's user base.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
