TL;DR
- Pavel Durov announced that Toncoin will be renamed to Gram, restoring the original name used in TON’s first white paper.
- The transition is expected to take around three weeks, while the TON blockchain will keep its current name.
- Following the announcement, TON climbed 18.75% over the past 24 hours and traded at $2.19, as investors responded positively to Telegram’s growing involvement in the ecosystem and its long-term development plans.
TON posted strong gains on June 1 after Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed that the network’s native cryptocurrency would be rebranded from Toncoin to Gram. The decision reconnects the project with its original identity and arrives as Telegram increases its engagement with the blockchain ecosystem.
The market reacted quickly to the announcement. TON rose 18.75% over the last 24 hours to trade at $2.19, as investors interpreted the rebrand as another signal of deeper alignment between Telegram and the network that originated from its early blockchain ambitions.
TON Rebrand Restores Original Gram Identity
According to Durov, Gram was the original name assigned to the network’s currency in TON’s first white paper. The rebranding process is expected to take approximately three weeks, with no token swap required and no changes to balances, staking positions, or network operations.
The decision carries historical significance. Gram was initially introduced during Telegram’s first blockchain initiative, which raised substantial funding before encountering regulatory challenges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2020. After the legal dispute, Telegram stepped away from direct involvement, while the project continued to develop independently under the TON name.
By restoring the Gram brand, Durov appears to be reconnecting the ecosystem with its original vision while preserving TON as the name of the blockchain itself.
Telegram Expands Its TON Ecosystem Strategy
The announcement arrives during a broader transformation across the TON ecosystem. Network fees have been reduced, infrastructure upgrades have been introduced, and Telegram has taken a more active operational role in supporting the network’s development.
Durov described the rebrand as part of a wider initiative called “Make TON Great Again,” indicating that additional ecosystem improvements remain on the roadmap. Market participants have followed these developments closely, particularly as Telegram continues integrating blockchain-based services into its platform.
The return of the Gram name may also provide greater clarity between the blockchain and its native currency, a structure commonly used by several major crypto networks.
As Telegram strengthens its involvement and expands blockchain functionality across its products, TON is increasingly positioning itself as a network designed for mainstream adoption.
