Telegram Rolls Out Native Gram Wallet with 1B User Expansion Planned

Telegram has launched its native Gram wallet for a select group of accounts, marking a significant milestone in the company's crypto journey. The limited rollout is just the beginning, with a wider expansion planned to reach over 1 billion users within weeks. According to founder Pavel Durov, the new wallet is ready and will be made available to the rest of the user base in stages.

The Gram wallet approval was facilitated by network validators, who approved the smart contract behind the wallet. This approval ensures that future upgrades can be implemented without forcing users to move their funds into a new contract, a key concern for self-custody wallets. Durov framed this as one of several fixes aimed at making self-custody workable for ordinary users.

The older custodial service, Wallet in Telegram, is being rebranded as Walt and will handle trading, investing, and holdings spread across multiple chains. Gram wallet, on the other hand, will focus on payments, transfers, and purchases of Telegram collectibles, including gifts, usernames, and phone numbers.