Overview
- Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the rename on Monday, June 1, launching a community vote and saying the token ticker will change to GRAM over about three weeks with no swaps, migrations, or balance changes required.
- Telegram has taken over operational control from the TON Foundation and became the chain’s largest validator after May upgrades that cut fees roughly sixfold and sped up block finality to support tiny in-app payments.
- Markets reacted strongly to the announcement with TON/Gram jumping in double-digit percentages and intraday highs reported around $2.25–$2.30 as trading volume spiked.
- A governance vote to change the ticker showed early support of roughly 80% with about 1.8 million TON pledged, and wallets, exchanges, and apps will update displays in a staged rollout.
- The move revives the old Gram name that drew SEC enforcement in 2020 and raises concentration concerns because a Telegram-linked wallet reportedly holds tens of millions of TON with millions staked, making upcoming token unlocks and a validator audit key risks for holders and regulators.