Telegram has started rolling out its native non-custodial Gram Wallet to a select group of users, marking the first stage of a deployment that will eventually extend to the messaging platform's billion-plus global user base.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the development on his personal channel, confirming that the wallet is now operational for an initial limited audience and will expand gradually over the coming weeks.

The wallet is designed as a self-custodial solution embedded directly within the Telegram application, enabling instant peer-to-peer transactions inside chats without transaction fees or mandatory Know Your Customer verification. Beyond simple GRAM token transfers, the service supports payments and ecosystem purchases such as usernames, digital gifts, and premium phone numbers. For context, self-custodial wallets differ from custodial services in that users — not a third party — hold the private keys controlling their funds, a distinction that has long presented a usability trade-off for mainstream audiences.

According to Durov, validators have approved the smart contract architecture underpinning the wallet — a structure specifically engineered to eliminate the need for forced fund migrations during future upgrades. This approach is presented as part of a broader effort to make non-custodial wallets more accessible to mainstream users who might otherwise be deterred by complex migration procedures.

Ecosystem Restructuring and Market Response

Alongside the Gram Wallet debut, Telegram is restructuring its cryptocurrency services to create clearer functional boundaries. The existing "Wallet in Telegram" bot is rebranding to Walt and will transition from its previous role as the default wallet into a dedicated multi-chain financial platform. Accessible via Telegram's search function, Walt will support over 300 crypto assets across four blockchains, offering trading in more than 200 assets alongside tokenized stocks, exchange-traded funds, yield-earning programs, and perpetual futures trading. Gram Wallet, meanwhile, will serve as the default self-custodial option within Telegram's settings, focused specifically on transfers and payments.

This operational separation is strategically important, as it is designed to bring Telegram's crypto offerings into compliance with Europe's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulations — the European Union's comprehensive crypto regulatory framework that began taking effect across member states in 2024 — by distinguishing between the social messaging environment and trading infrastructure. The initiative forms a central component of Durov's "Make TON Great Again" roadmap, which earlier this summer restored the network's original GRAM branding after the token had previously operated as Toncoin following regulatory settlements with United States authorities.

The phased rollout means the wallet's availability, feature set, and user experience may continue to evolve as deployment proceeds, with the full expansion to Telegram's broader user base expected to unfold over the coming weeks.