Telegram Deploys Native Wallet to 1B Users, GRAM Surges 8% to $1.55

Woofun AI reports that Telegram has initiated the largest rollout of a non-custodial crypto wallet in history, integrating a native Gram wallet directly into its application for 1 billion users. Founder Pavel Durov announced that users will retain control of their private keys while benefiting from instant, feeless transactions, marking a significant shift in how the platform handles digital assets. This deployment is designed to eliminate the friction between social engagement and on-chain activity, positioning the messaging giant as a primary gateway for mainstream cryptocurrency adoption.

The market reaction was immediate and volatile, with the announcement post garnering over 377,000 views within its first hour. Trading data indicates that GRAM broke out of a two-week consolidation base near $1.43, surging to an intraday high of $1.55, representing an 8% gain. This price movement was supported by the heaviest hourly volume in weeks, exceeding 144,000 GRAM on the breakout candle. By the time of writing, the token had retraced slightly to $1.52, allowing early buyers to secure approximately 6.5% of the initial spike.

Structurally, a single candle reclaimed the 50-hour and 100-hour moving averages, which had suppressed every bounce since early July. The price is now testing the longer-term average near $1.52 from above, while the hourly RSI sits at 75, indicating overbought conditions that often precede sideways digestion rather than immediate continuation. Holding the reclaimed $1.44 to $1.46 band would validate the breakout structure, whereas a slide back under the pre-announcement $1.43 level could signal another headline fade.

Woofun AI data shows that this wallet launch is a pivotal component of Durov’s seven-step 'Make TON Great Again' roadmap, of which three steps remained undisclosed entering July. The revealed initiatives have already delivered a 10x speed upgrade with sub-second finality and a sixfold fee cut to approximately $0.0005 per transaction, with fully feeless transfers promised next.

Furthermore, Telegram has replaced the TON Foundation as the network’s largest validator, consolidating its influence over the infrastructure. In June, the network completed the rebranding of Toncoin to Gram, a move that passed a community vote with 81.22% support and took effect on June 15 without requiring a token swap. These technical and governance upgrades are designed to enhance scalability and reduce costs, laying the groundwork for mass adoption.

The strategic intent behind the wallet is to address the persistent activation gap that has plagued the TON ecosystem. Since the introduction of TON Pay inside Telegram Mini Apps in February, the network has struggled to convert its vast user base into active participants. When CoinShares established a $3.50 base case for GRAM, the network recorded only 1.78 million monthly active wallets against Telegram’s 1 billion monthly users. Research head James Butterfill noted that despite having the best user funnel in crypto, the network still needed to prove that users actually transact. This warning proved prescient, as the token surrendered the entire rally triggered by Telegram’s network takeover before this week’s bounce, highlighting the disconnect between user count and economic activity.

Future performance will hinge on whether usage metrics can sustain the current price momentum. If the summer rollout successfully reaches the full user base, monthly active wallets must show a visible inflection by the end of the third quarter. Should that figure remain near 2 million while the token drifts back under $1.43, skeptics will maintain their argument that the network lacks genuine utility. A nearer-term test arrives on July 27, when a scheduled unlock of 2.8 million GRAM will add supply into the rally, potentially pressuring prices if demand does not keep pace. The confirmation signal for long-term success is usage, not price; without a substantial increase in active wallets, the current surge may prove transient. This marks the third major infrastructure update this year, yet the fundamental challenge of converting social capital into on-chain value remains unresolved.