Pavel Durov Rebrands TON Coin to GRAM: Full Circle Return

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.

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

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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