Telegram Founder Says TON Has Fastest Finality as Token Surges Back Into Top 20

Telegram named its blockchain token Gram in a 2018 white paper, but the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued in 2019 to block its launch. Telegram settled in 2020, agreeing to return more than $1.2 billion to investors and pay an $18.5 million penalty. The community-led TON project subsequently adopted the name Toncoin, and the return to Gram has prompted debate over whether the old settlement terms still apply.

In July 2026, Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced that TON’s native token, Toncoin, would be renamed Gram as the fourth step in a seven-part “Make TON Great Again” plan. The change won support from 81% of the TON community in a vote, and the token’s price rose as much as 15% after the announcement. Officials stressed that holders do not need to migrate or swap their tokens and warned them to beware of fraudulent token-swap schemes.

TON is a blockchain deeply integrated with the Telegram ecosystem, supporting Web3 payments, gaming and digital-asset trading. Telegram founder Pavel Durov is advancing the “MTONGA” upgrade in an effort to lower barriers with near-zero costs and strengthen TON’s ability to compete with other blockchains.

Durov announced that TON would cut transaction fees sixfold to about $0.0005 within one week of the announcement, with most transactions eventually moving toward zero fees. Telegram’s takeover of TON ecosystem governance and the fee-cut announcement lifted Toncoin, with reports recording a one-day gain of more than 24% and separate data showing a 36% increase.

TON began as a blockchain project launched by Telegram in 2018 and raised $1.7 billion. After Telegram withdrew in 2020 following a lawsuit by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the community and the TON Foundation continued its development. The return of governance control to Telegram has implications for the integration of blockchain services across the platform and its 950 million users.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov recently said the company would replace the TON Foundation within 2–3 weeks, taking direct control of governance and technical development while becoming TON’s largest validator. The move is the third step in the “Make TON Great Again” plan, which aims to reshape the TON ecosystem and Telegram’s business model.