by Coinstrooper Crypto Articles
Quick Take
  • The move revives the original 2018 name from Telegram’s first whitepaper, signaling deeper integration and a new chapter for the project.
  • Gram was the token name during Telegram’s initial TON (Telegram Open Network) push, which raised $1.7 billion before the SEC intervened in 2020.
  • Telegram abandoned the project, refunded investors, and open-sourced the code.
  • The community relaunched it as Toncoin (TON) under the TON Foundation.

What Happened

Pavel Durov has officially announced that TON’s native currency is becoming Gram, marking a nostalgic yet forward-looking shift for the Telegram-integrated blockchain.

Telegram abandoned the project, refunded investors, and open-sourced the code. The community relaunched it as Toncoin (TON) under the TON Foundation.

Durov’s announcement positions this rebrand as a return to roots while advancing Telegram’s control.

Earlier steps included major upgrades: Catchain 2.0 for sub-second finality, fee reductions by 6x to near-zero, and Telegram becoming TON’s largest validator with millions of TON staked.

TON previously surged 23-100%+ following Durov’s May takeover announcements, climbing from approximately $1.30 to peaks near $2.80 amid massive volume and staking inflows.

With Telegram driving development, expect enhanced developer tools, a revamped ton.org, TON Pay upgrades, and Bitcoin liquidity bridges in coming weeks.

Market Context

Roots and Revival

Gram was the token name during Telegram’s initial TON (Telegram Open Network) push, which raised $1.7 billion before the SEC intervened in 2020.

Why It Matters

The move revives the original 2018 name from Telegram’s first whitepaper, signaling deeper integration and a new chapter for the project.

Timeline and Roadmap Context

The transition will take around three weeks. This is step 4 of 7 in Durov’s “Make TON Great Again” (MTONGA) roadmap.

Details

“We’re returning to our roots — and starting a new chapter,” the post states.

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TON remains the blockchain’s name; only the currency rebrands to Gram (GRAM). No token swap or technical changes affect balances, staking, or DeFi.

The Gram rebrand adds symbolic weight and potential branding clarity for Telegram’s approximately 1 billion users, boosting utility in Mini Apps, payments, and creator tools.

The rebrand paves the way for mainstream adoption, positioning Gram as everyday crypto inside the world’s leading messaging app.

The post Pavel Durov Rebrands TON Coin to GRAM: Full Circle Return appeared first on BeInCrypto.