Telegram’s Durov Says TON Token Will Be Renamed Gram

Why Is TON Being Renamed Gram?

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said The Open Network’s native cryptocurrency will be renamed Gram, reviving the original token name from the project’s first white paper as part of his “Make TON Great Again” campaign. The change separates the blockchain’s identity from the asset that powers it. TON will remain the name of the blockchain, while Gram will become the name of the native currency. Durov said the transition is expected to take about three weeks. “Gram was the original name of TON’s currency in the first white paper,” Durov wrote in a Telegram post. “We’re returning to our roots — and starting a new chapter.” The rebrand is the fourth of seven planned steps in Durov’s MTONGA campaign. The remaining three steps have not yet been publicly disclosed, leaving investors and ecosystem developers waiting for more detail on how far Telegram intends to go in reshaping TON’s governance, token identity, and network operations.

What Has Changed Before the Rebrand?

The Gram transition follows a series of network and governance moves that have already altered the market narrative around TON. Durov first outlined the broader campaign in April after a network upgrade that he said made TON “ten times faster” and introduced sub-second transaction settlement. Two other steps have also been revealed. One involved reducing transaction fees by roughly sixfold. The other was Telegram’s plan to replace the TON Foundation as the ecosystem’s primary steward and largest validator. Taken together, those steps show that the rebrand is not only a naming change. It is part of a wider effort to bring the blockchain closer to Telegram’s direct control and product ecosystem. That matters because TON’s main strategic advantage is not only technical performance, but its potential access to Telegram’s large user base and app layer. For token holders, the key question is whether Gram becomes a cleaner consumer-facing asset name that can support payments, trading, mini-app integrations, and wallet usage inside Telegram. A simpler token identity may help user adoption, but governance concentration around Telegram could also attract closer scrutiny from regulators and market participants.

Investor Takeaway

The Gram rebrand is a branding move with governance implications. Telegram is not only reviving TON’s original token name; it is also moving toward a larger role in the network’s direction, validation, and user-facing strategy.

Why Does the Gram Name Matter?

Gram carries legal and historical weight. Telegram launched the original TON project in 2018, when TON stood for Telegram Open Network and Gram was the planned native cryptocurrency. The project was abandoned in 2020 after a legal fight with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission forced Telegram to halt Gram token sales over securities-law concerns. That collapse left the original Telegram-led blockchain project unfinished and triggered lawsuits from investors seeking refunds on token purchases. Independent developers later continued the project under the TON name, rebranding it as The Open Network. Since then, TON has built a closer relationship with Telegram through integrations focused on payments, wallets, digital asset trading, and app-based crypto services. The return of the Gram name reconnects the current network with Telegram’s original blockchain plan, but under a different market structure and after several years of independent ecosystem development. The historical link may strengthen brand recognition among long-time crypto users. It also brings back a name associated with one of the most closely watched crypto enforcement disputes of the last decade. That dual meaning is important: Gram can help Telegram frame the project as a return to its original vision, but it can also remind regulators and investors of the legal risks that shaped TON’s early history.

What Are the Market Implications for TON?

The immediate market impact depends on whether the rebrand leads to deeper product integration or remains largely cosmetic. A token rename alone does not change supply, network economics, validator incentives, or developer activity. But if paired with Telegram’s larger governance role, lower fees, and faster settlement, it could support wider use inside Telegram’s app ecosystem. Exchanges, wallets, data providers, and infrastructure firms will also need to adjust naming, tickers, market pages, and user disclosures during the transition. Durov’s three-week timeline gives the ecosystem a short window to coordinate branding and technical updates without confusing users over whether TON and Gram refer to separate assets. The unrevealed MTONGA steps are now the main variable. Investors will be watching whether Telegram announces deeper wallet integration, new payment features, validator changes, ecosystem incentives, or governance updates. Any of those could affect demand for the renamed token more than the rebrand itself. For now, the move gives TON a clearer consumer-facing identity while placing Telegram more visibly at the center of the network’s future. That combination may improve adoption prospects, but it also increases the importance of regulatory clarity, governance transparency, and execution across Telegram-linked crypto products.