The Open Network (TON) has officially renamed its native cryptocurrency from Toncoin (TON) back to Gram (GRAM), reviving the project’s original identity from 2018 as Telegram strengthens its involvement in the blockchain ecosystem.
TON is now $GRAM.
Same chain. Same network. New name, ticker & logo.
All TON holdings convert 1:1 to GRAM automatically. No swap, no migration, no action required from holders.
Why GRAM?
Gram was the original name of the token in TON’s first whitepaper. Returning to the… pic.twitter.com/0r2cceVXzl
— TON 💎 (@ton_blockchain) June 15, 2026
The rebrand took effect on June 15, 2026, following an announcement by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov earlier this month.
While the token’s name and ticker have changed, the blockchain itself remains The Open Network, and users were not required to swap or migrate their holdings. Wallet balances, smart contracts, staking positions, and decentralized finance assets continued operating without interruption through a seamless 1:1 transition.
A return to the original vision
Gram was first introduced in 2018 as the planned native currency for Telegram’s ambitious blockchain project. The company raised about $1.7 billion from private investors before U.S. regulators intervened, arguing that the token sale violated securities laws.
Following legal action by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019, Telegram abandoned the original launch and later settled the case in 2020 by returning more than $1.2 billion to investors and paying an $18.5 million penalty. Independent developers eventually revived the open-source network under the name Toncoin, distancing the project from the legal issues tied to the Gram brand.
Community vote cleared the change
The decision to restore the Gram name was approved through a community governance vote held in early June, with more than 81% of participating voting power supporting the proposal.
As part of the rollout, exchanges and wallets updated trading pairs, token names, and branding from TON to GRAM. Major platforms adopted the changes without requiring action from users, while some temporarily displayed both tickers during the transition.
Why is Telegram making this move?
The rebrand comes as Telegram moves closer to the center of the network’s development. Earlier this year, Durov announced plans for Telegram to become the primary force behind the ecosystem and serve as its largest validator, replacing the TON Foundation’s leading role.
Fees in TON have dropped 6× — to nearly zero.
Next step — Telegram replaces the TON Foundation as the driving force behind TON and becomes its largest validator.
The focus shifts to tech superiority.
New https://t.co/Me0w683UiK, new dev tools, new performance upgrades.…
— Pavel Durov (@durov) May 4, 2026
The company says the move is part of its broader “Make TON Great Again” roadmap, which aims to strengthen Telegram’s blockchain services, improve payments, support creators, and expand mini-app integrations.
The announcement was welcomed by the market, with the token posting double-digit gains after Durov revealed the rebranding plan. Supporters see the return of the Gram name as a way to reconnect with the project’s original vision while aligning the cryptocurrency more closely with Telegram’s growing blockchain ambitions.
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