Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, announced on June 1 that Toncoin will soon become Gram.
Markets responded before most people finished reading the post: TON jumped 15–18% within hours, with daily trading volume up 129%.
So… What actually happened? Is this a new coin? Do you need to do anything?
The short answer is no. The longer answer is below.
Key Takeaways
- GRAM is back. The original name from Telegram's 2018 whitepaper is revived after six years.
- TON is now GRAM. Some wallets, exchanges, trackers, and old articles may still show Toncoin or TON during the update period, so users may see different names across the market.
- The blockchain stays TON; only the native token is being renamed.
- The rename is the fourth step in Durov's MTONGA roadmap. There are 7 steps total and no one knows what the next 3 are.
- GRAM is now positioned as Telegram's unified in-app currency for 900 million monthly users.
A Quick Flashback to the Beginning
Actually, GRAM isn't a new idea. It's an old one that got legally killed and is now coming back.
In 2018, Telegram raised around $1.7 billion to build its own blockchain called the Telegram Open Network. The native token was named Gram.
The plan was simple and straightforward: a fast, scalable chain with Gram as the in-app currency for Telegram's users.
But… It never launched. In October 2019, the SEC stepped in, blocked the token distribution, saying that the Gram sale was an unregistered securities offering.
So, Telegram settled the case, shut the project down and moved on.
After that, a team of independent developers picked up the open source code and relaunched the project as The Open Network.
They also renamed the token Toncoin, partly to put distance from the legal history. Telegram eventually rejoined the ecosystem, and the network grew from there.
Now Durov is reclaiming the original name. As he put it:
"Gram was the original name of TON's currency in the first white paper. We're returning to our roots, and starting a new chapter."
TON, Toncoin, GRAM: Three Names, One Asset
This is where many people get confused and we can’t blame them honestly.
So let's just lay it out flat.
- TON is the blockchain. Short for The Open Network. This is the infrastructure: the chain, the validators, the architecture. It's not changing. It was TON before, it stays TON.
- Toncoin is the old name for the native token of that blockchain. The thing you've been buying, swapping, and staking. Still the same asset, though.
- GRAM is the new name for that same token. No swap or migration happening, pure cosmetics.
Source: Pavel Durov
The token goes from Toncoin to Gram. That’s it. End of story.
Toncoin Rebranding: What Changes
The short version: not much, at least technically.
This is a clean rename: no token swap, no contract migration, nothing to worry about on your end.
Whatever you hold stays exactly where it is.
Here’s what Toncoin writes about it in their Telegram channel:
“The blockchain stays TON / The Open Network, only the token's name and ticker change. Balances, addresses, contracts, NFTs, staking, DeFi, all unchanged. No swap, bridge, claim, or migration. No action required.”
So what does change basically is:
- The ticker. TON becomes GRAM. Exchanges and wallets will update their interfaces over the next three weeks as the transition rolls out. During that window, you may see both names in different places and that's totally normal.
- The narrative. This update positions GRAM as Telegram's native in-app currency - a single, unified payment rail for a platform with 900 million monthly users.
And it’s step 4 of 7 in Durov's MTONGA (short for Make TON Great Again) roadmap - a broader push to bring Telegram back to the center of the TON ecosystem.
The first three steps were already delivered: Telegram became the network's largest validator, transaction fees were cut sixfold, and now comes the rename.
Source: Pavel Durov on X
Steps five through seven haven't been revealed yet.
What The TON Community Thinks About GRAM
For TON-native voices, the rename looks wider than a ticker update.
InvestKingy, TON commentator behind @investkingyru on Telegram and @kingyru on X, reads the return of Gram as a change in identity.
“For me, this is not just marketing. I see it as recognition that TON’s story is no longer built around the idea that the community saved Telegram’s project and developed it independently. Over the past few years, the ecosystem has gradually moved back toward Telegram, and now this move has been officially fixed at the brand level.”
He points out that Gram was always tied to Durov’s original Telegram project. In that sense, the rename closes the period when TON had to distance itself from Telegram for legal and political reasons.
“I would say this is not a change in technology and not a change in the network economy. It is a change in identity. TON used to tell the story of an independent Open Network. Now the focus is shifting back to Telegram’s legacy and Durov himself.”
The TON/Gram split can work for new users. Ethereum has ETH, Solana has SOL, and TON having Gram as the currency may feel natural, especially inside Telegram.
The risk sits in the transition period. Toncoin has had years of exchange pages, wallet screens, media posts, DeFi docs, trackers, and old tutorials behind it. New users may now see TON Blockchain, GRAM, old Toncoin articles, and legacy TON tickers at the same time.
“The ecosystem has spent years promoting Toncoin. Exchanges, wallets, media, analytics, DeFi protocols, and documentation were built around TON as the coin name. Now people will need to understand that TON and GRAM are not two separate projects and not a new token.”
For InvestKingy, the core change is the market story.
“Toncoin was presented to the market as the coin of an independent ecosystem that once had links to Telegram. Gram is now presented as Telegram’s historical cryptocurrency finally coming home six years after the SEC conflict. This is more of a narrative rebrand than a token rebrand.”
Community accounts including @investkingyru on Telegram, @kingyru on X, as well as @mysociety and @baseapp are also worth watching during the transition, as wallet UX, naming, and user education will matter more than the ticker itself.
GRAM On ChangeNOW
So, how does this update affect ChangeNOW users?
ChangeNOW has already updated Toncoin on the website. The asset now appears as GRAM, while the blockchain itself remains TON.
Here’s how Valerie, ChangeNOW listing lead, commented on this case:
"Most users won't notice any technical changes because the blockchain itself remains the same. The challenge is making sure every touchpoint: from asset listings to partner integrations and historical references, reflects the new branding consistently, and in our case this means dozens of internal services must be carefully taken into the consideration. Plus, one of the major risks in addition to technical compatibility is potential user confusion. Historically, rebrands create short periods where users see different asset names across wallets, exchanges, and explorers - we saw that earlier with MATIC-POL changes. In our case, the transition is further complicated by the fact that ChangeNOW previously supported a different asset under the GRAM ticker. Still the team finalize all procedures as soon as possible".
Updating a token name sounds simple. But it takes careful work when the same ticker existed on the platform before.
ChangeNOW previously supported another asset under the GRAM ticker, so the team had to resolve the naming conflict and re-check the flow across internal services.
For users, the main point is simple: GRAM on ChangeNOW refers to the renamed Toncoin asset. No token swap, bridge, claim, or migration is required.
FAQ
What is GRAM crypto?
GRAM is the new name for Toncoin, the native token of TON blockchain. Same asset, new name, nothing else changed.
What is TON crypto?
TON, or The Open Network, is the blockchain itself. It's not being renamed. TON stays TON; only the token is changing from Toncoin to GRAM.
Why is TON being renamed to GRAM?
GRAM was the original name from Telegram's 2018 whitepaper. Durov is reclaiming it as part of his MTONGA roadmap - a seven-step plan to bring Telegram back to the center of the TON ecosystem.
Do I need to swap my TON tokens?
No. There's no swap, no migration, nothing to do. Your balance stays exactly where it is.
What will the new TON ticker be?
The ticker changes from TON to GRAM. Exchanges and wallets will update over the next three weeks.
Is GRAM connected to Telegram?
Yes. GRAM is being positioned as Telegram's native in-app currency for a platform with 900 million monthly users.
Where can I swap GRAM crypto?
You can swap GRAM/TON on ChangeNOW in minutes.
