Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced that the native token of The Open Network (TON) will be renamed back to Gram, the original name from the project’s 2019 whitepaper. The rebranding, described as a return to the cryptocurrency’s roots, will be implemented over approximately three weeks and is purely cosmetic—no technical changes will affect user balances, wallets, NFTs, staking positions, DeFi assets, or smart contracts. The blockchain itself will retain the TON name, while the ticker is set to change from TON to GRAM.
The move revives the Gram brand that Telegram was forced to abandon after a 2019 SEC enforcement action halted its token launch and resulted in a $1.2 billion investor refund. Durov emphasized that TON is among the most decentralized networks, and Telegram’s role as the largest validator does not increase centralization risks. Within the community, interpretations vary: some see the rename as a simple cosmetic update, while others view it as a potential first step toward broader plans supported by Telegram.
Exchanges and market data platforms may experience delays in updating interfaces, though no network-level changes are required. The rebrand could sharpen retail recognition by linking the asset more explicitly to Telegram’s 900-million-user base, though the messenger has distanced itself from the token post-settlement. The announcement coincided with a positive price reaction for TON, which had already topped weekly gainers charts, reflecting renewed ecosystem interest.
