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Telegram Begins Phased Launch of Built‑In Gram Wallet

If widely adopted it could change how a billion users hold and move crypto by combining self-custody with instant, zero-fee transfers.

Overview

  • Telegram began giving selected users access to Gram Wallet on Monday, Aug. 31, and said it will expand availability to its billion-plus user base over the next couple of weeks.
  • Gram Wallet is built into the Telegram app as a self-custodial, default wallet that Telegram says will support instant, zero-fee transfers, in‑app payments, and Telegram Collectibles.
  • Network validators approved the smart contract that powers the wallet and allowed an upgrade path designed to avoid forcing users to migrate funds to a new contract.
  • The announcement lifted GRAM trading volume by about 137% and pushed the token roughly 2% higher to near $1.40 after a brief spike toward $1.45.
  • Telegram has not published full technical or recovery documentation, leaving users responsible for key recovery and raising open questions about security, regional limits, and regulatory implications given the platform’s past SEC enforcement history.