Telegram Renames TON Token to Gram

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced that The Open Network's native cryptocurrency will be renamed Gram, reviving the original name proposed in TON's early white paper [1]. The change is expected to take around three weeks to complete, with the blockchain itself continuing to operate under the name The Open Network (TON), while its native token will adopt the Gram branding [2].

The rebrand is part of Durov's "Make TON Great Again" initiative, which aims to strengthen the TON ecosystem [3]. The move marks a return to the project's original vision, with Gram being the token name used in TON's original 2018 white paper [4]. The change is the fourth step in Durov's seven-part plan, which has already seen significant upgrades, including a network upgrade that made TON "ten times faster" and plans to reduce transaction fees by roughly six times [1].

The rebrand has been approved by the community via an on-chain governance vote, with 81.22% of support [5]. The update will modify the token name, ticker symbol, and branding, but will not require a token swap, and existing balances, wallet addresses, staking positions, contracts, NFTs, and DeFi assets will continue to work [5]. The price of TON jumped over 13% to about $2.12 on the news, restoring a token name Telegram abandoned in 2020 [4].

The return of the Gram name revives a brand closely tied to Telegram's original blockchain ambitions [3]. Telegram initially introduced Gram as part of its early blockchain project before regulatory challenges in the U.S. forced the company to abandon direct involvement [2]. The rebrand paves the way for mainstream adoption, positioning Gram as everyday crypto inside the world's leading messaging app [2]. With the rebranding, the real question is whether Gram can regain its former glory and become a major player in the cryptocurrency market, or if it will remain a niche token with a dedicated community.