Telegram is preparing to launch a non-custodial crypto wallet as soon as this summer, according to founder Pavel Durov, who said the rollout would bring the Gram wallet to every Telegram app.

Durov disclosed the plan in a post on his Telegram channel, describing it as the biggest rollout yet for a non-custodial crypto wallet. The messaging platform has more than 1 billion users and has introduced several crypto-related features in recent months as it deepens blockchain functionality across its services. Non-custodial wallets differ from custodial products because users retain control of their assets rather than relying on a platform to hold them, making implementation details such as key management, recovery options, supported assets, and regional availability especially important.

Durov Signals Instant, Free Transactions

Details about how the new wallet will operate remain limited. Durov’s post said Telegram is bringing the non-custodial Gram wallet to every Telegram app, indicating that the product is likely to be integrated directly into the messaging platform. The source post is available at https://t.me/durov/533.

Telegram already offers a native custodial crypto wallet known as Wallet. According to the platform, Wallet has more than 150 million users. The product recently integrated with Lighter, a decentralized perpetual futures exchange, adding perpetual futures access for its users.

Other crypto wallets are also available on Telegram as miniapps, including TON Space. How the upcoming non-custodial Gram wallet will be positioned alongside those existing products remains unclear.

Durov has also teased instant and free crypto transactions for Gram wallet users. He did not specify how Telegram plans to deliver zero-fee transactions or provide technical details about the wallet’s transaction model. Those details will determine how closely the product resembles existing Telegram wallet options and how much responsibility users take on when managing funds directly.

GRAM Rises After Wallet Announcement

Following Durov’s announcement, GRAM, formerly Toncoin, rose as much as 10% on the day to $1.54, up from a low of $1.43. The token later eased to $1.528 but remained higher on the day, up almost 7% over the previous 24 hours.

The move interrupted a period of weakness for GRAM, which had been declining since early July. Over the past three months, the token has mostly traded lower since May, when it reached a peak of around $2.7.

That May peak coincided with Telegram’s announcement that it was taking over development of the TON Network from the TON Foundation and had become the network’s largest validator.

Since then, Telegram has announced several developments for the TON Network. These include cutting TON fees by 6x and introducing a new toolchain for network builders. Telegram also rebranded Toncoin as GRAM, saying the change was step 4 of its plan to make the network great again.

Despite those developments and the latest price move, GRAM remains down 8% year to date. The token also continues to trade more than 80% below its 2024 peak price of $8.25.