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TON feels different from many Layer 1 networks because the first user touchpoint often sits inside Telegram. A person may meet the network through a Mini App, a username auction, a collectible gift, a wallet transfer, a Jetton reward or a USDt payment before opening a block explorer.
In 2026, the ecosystem has a new public asset identity as Toncoin becomes GRAM.
Let´s find the answer to the question on how Telegram, wallets, Mini Apps, DeFi tools and network infrastructure work together today?
Key Takeaways
- The TON ecosystem now connects The Open Network, Gram Wallet, Walt, TON Space, Mini Apps, Jettons, USDt and DeFi products.
- The Toncoin to GRAM rename took effect on June 15, 2026, with no migration, bridge, claim or token swap required.
- Telegram remains the main user channel for Gram Wallet, Walt, Stars, Fragment, Collectible Gifts and Telegram Mini Apps.
The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always conduct your own research before interacting with digital assets, wallets or blockchain applications.
Telegram Ecosystem Overview
Many users don't go to the ecosystem through a blockchain explorer or a DeFi application, instead the first interaction often happens inside Telegram.
How The TON Ecosystem Works Today
The Open Network is a Layer 1 blockchain secured through Proof of Stake.
Official TON documentation describes the network as infrastructure for scalable smart contracts, applications and payments.
TON node documentation explains that validators verify blocks and participate in the network's Proof of Stake consensus, while collators prepare block candidates for validation.
Sharding is one of the main technical ideas behind the network. TON sharding documentation explains how shardchains can split or merge as transaction activity changes.
Wallet transfers, Mini App rewards, Jetton movements, marketplace transactions and DeFi swaps all depend on the same underlying chain. Sharding gives the network more room when activity rises.
Several product categories now sit on top of the blockchain.
| Category | Products |
|---|---|
| Wallets | Gram Wallet, Walt, TON Space, NOW Wallet |
| Payments | Telegram Stars, USDt on TON, TON Pay |
| Digital Assets | Jettons, Usernames, Collectible Gifts |
| Trading | STON.fi, DeDust |
| Lending | EVAA |
| Identity | Fragment, TON DNS |
| Infrastructure | TON Connect, TAC, TON Storage, TON Proxy |
| Cross-chain Access (Testnet) | TON Teleport BTC, tgBTC |
Jettons give projects a native token layer on TON.
TON documentation compares Jettons to Ethereum ERC-20 tokens, since they represent fungible assets issued by individual projects.
Games, communities and applications use Jettons for rewards, access, internal economies and user activity.
For a deeper breakdown, read our What Is Jetton? guide.
Telegram Services, Mini Apps And Digital Assets
Telegram remains the main distribution layer behind the ecosystem. Wallets, Mini Apps, collectibles and payment tools can reach users directly inside the messenger without requiring a separate onboarding process.
Many Web3 apps ask users to download a wallet, save a recovery phrase, switch networks, sign transactions and learn a new interface.
TON products often start closer to the user, inside chats, bots, Mini Apps and familiar Telegram screens.
Wallet in Telegram and TON Space brought asset storage and transfers into the messenger. In 2026 the lineup changed: Wallet in Telegram was renamed Walt and now focuses on trading and investing, while Telegram's new non-custodial Gram Wallet, which started rolling out on August 31, takes its place in the app menu. TON Space remains a self-custody option for direct control over assets.
Telegram then added more consumer-facing products.
Telegram introduced Stars in June 2024 for digital goods and services inside bots and Mini Apps.
Telegram's Bot Payments API documentation states that digital goods and services must be sold through Stars.
Fragment created a marketplace for usernames and collectibles. Collectible Gifts added another digital ownership format linked to Telegram identity.
Mini Apps made the ecosystem easier to notice. Notcoin, Catizen and Hamster Kombat turned Telegram into a front door for token rewards, Tap-to-Earn games and wallet activity.
A typical user path can start in a Mini App, move into Gram Wallet, Walt or TON Space, include a Jetton reward, add USDt transfers and later reach a swap route or DeFi app.
MyTonWallet has also rebranded as My Wallet and moved beyond a TON-only wallet model. The app now supports major networks, has a refreshed interface, an AI Agent, portfolio charts and expanded swaps, while Bitcoin is already being discussed as one of the next major additions.
Mini Apps, wallet integrations and Telegram-native services continue to attract teams building on TON. Gaming projects, payment tools, digital collectibles, DeFi protocols and business applications all compete for attention inside Telegram.
In the video below, Alena Shmalko, Ecosystem Lead at TON Foundation, discusses how projects are built inside the ecosystem, which support programs are available and what resources development teams can access.
For the full story behind the new wallet, see our Telegram Gram Wallet guide.
Payments, DeFi And Cross-Chain Access
Payments remain one of the most practical parts of the ecosystem.
Tether announced USDt support on TON during TOKEN2049 Dubai in April 2024, bringing one of the largest stablecoins into the ecosystem.
Tether Transparency tracks USDt supply across supported networks, including TON.
TON Pay entered the payments discussion in 2026.
Cointelegraph coverage via TradingView described TON Pay as a payments SDK for Telegram Mini Apps.
For merchants and app teams, the product points to a clearer checkout path inside Telegram-native products.
STON.fi and DeDust support decentralized swaps. EVAA focuses on lending. TON Applications Chain (TAC) targets EVM-compatible access for applications connected to TON users.
What Is TON Teleport BTC?
Bitcoin remains the largest crypto asset by market capitalization, yet most BTC liquidity sits outside smart contract ecosystems.
TON Teleport BTC is a decentralized Bitcoin bridge designed to bring BTC liquidity into The Open Network through tgBTC, a token intended to maintain 1:1 backing with Bitcoin.
The project remains in its testnet phase, where users can explore the bridging process without transferring real BTC. Once launched on mainnet, TON Teleport BTC aims to give Bitcoin holders access to TON-based swaps, lending markets and other DeFi applications without relying on a centralized issuer.
Adoption will depend on the mainnet rollout, available liquidity, wallet support and integration with TON applications.
TON To GRAM Transition
The GRAM transition adds a naming update to the ecosystem.
As stated in TON's official announcement ,the rename took effect at 12:00 UTC on June 15, 2026. At the same time here we can see that BingX reported that the vote passed with 81.22% support.
And, MEXC coverage states that no swap, claim, bridge, migration or user action is required.
Taken together, token contracts, balances, wallet addresses, NFTs, Jettons, staking positions and DeFi positions stay unchanged.
For a dedicated breakdown of the rename, read TON vs GRAM: Same, But Different, But Same?
What Changes For Users
Users should treat any claim, bridge or migration request with caution.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Toncoin | GRAM |
| TON ticker | GRAM ticker |
| Wallet balances | Unchanged |
| Wallet addresses | Unchanged |
| NFTs | Unchanged |
| Jettons | Unchanged |
| Staking positions | Unchanged |
| DeFi positions | Unchanged |
Users looking to exchange assets inside the ecosystem can swap GRAM or buy GRAM through supported ChangeNOW routes.
How TON-Native Voices Read The Rename
For TON-native voices, the rename looks wider than a ticker update. InvestKingy, TON commentator behind @investkingyru on Telegram and @kingyru on X, sees the return of Gram as a shift in identity.
“For me, this is more than marketing. I see it as recognition that TON’s story no longer rests on the idea that the community saved Telegram’s project and built it independently. Over the past few years, the ecosystem has moved closer to Telegram, and now the brand makes that direction official.”
He also points to the practical onboarding tradeoff. The split between TON as the network and GRAM as the asset may help new users connect the coin with Telegram history, but it can also create short-term confusion across wallets, exchanges, old articles and ticker labels.
In his view, the technical setup stays the same: blockchain, validators, smart contracts, wallets and asset mechanics. The larger change sits in how the project tells its story to users, exchanges and the market.
What Users Discussed During The Rename
The Reddit discussion below shows the user side of the rename, including deposit timing, withdrawal pauses and ticker updates.
User discussions take place during asset rebrands because exchange labels, wallet names and explorer pages can update on different schedules.
ChangeNOW And The TON Ecosystem
ChangeNOW has supported TON throughout several stages of the network's growth. Users could access TON swap routes long before the GRAM rename entered discussion, while TON-based assets remained available across supported exchange flows.
The relationship extends beyond asset listings. TON infrastructure has also been supported through NOW Nodes, giving developers and businesses access to TON network services alongside other supported blockchains. As Wallet, Mini Apps, Jettons and Telegram-native products attracted new users, access to reliable infrastructure became an important part of ecosystem growth.
The GRAM transition is one example of how ecosystem participants adapt to network changes. Asset pages, exchange routes and product references across ChangeNOW have already been updated to reflect the new naming.
Users continue interacting with the same blockchain, addresses and supported services throughout the transition.The chart below helps users track market activity during the naming transition.
For ChangeNOW users, the transition is already reflected across supported routes. Asset pages, exchange routes and product references now use the GRAM name, while network support continues through the same infrastructure.
TON Ecosystem Growth, DeFi Liquidity And Risks
Market activity continues on the same blockchain during the GRAM transition. TON's official announcement states that the token name, ticker and logo change, while network infrastructure, smart contracts and asset ownership remain the same.
Several products now contribute to activity across the ecosystem. Wallets, Mini Apps, USDt, Jettons and DeFi applications each bring users into different parts of the network. Telegram remains the primary distribution channel, which gives applications direct access to an established audience inside the messenger.
Messari's State of The Open Network Q1 2026 report recorded strong activity around Telegram-issued products. The report states that TON NFT market share reached 35.5% of cross-chain volume during the quarter. Growth in collectibles, Mini Apps and wallet activity contributed to broader ecosystem participation.
DeFi activity continues to develop alongside consumer-facing products. Liquidity depth, lending markets and developer participation remain useful indicators for evaluating ecosystem maturity. DefiLlama tracks TVL, protocol activity, stablecoin market capitalization, DEX volume, fees and revenue across applications connected to the network.
Telegram Mini Apps run inside Telegram clients, so product decisions inside the messenger can influence how users find wallets, collectibles and payment tools. Regulation, app store policies and exchange listing updates can also affect user access across different regions.
TON Timeline Of Development
The current state of The Open Network came from a legal break in 2020, when Telegram left the original Telegram Open Network project.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Telegram announces TON and raises $1.7 billion through the sale of Gram tokens |
| 2020 | Telegram exits the project after the SEC case |
| 2021 | TON Foundation becomes the primary development organization |
| 2023 | Telegram Wallet and TON Space gain wider adoption |
| 2024 | USDt launches on TON and Mini Apps accelerate user growth |
| 2025 | Mini Apps, Tap-to-Earn games and Telegram collectibles reach larger audiences |
| 2026 | Toncoin transitions to GRAM, TON Pay enters the ecosystem, Gram Wallet starts rolling out to Telegram users and Wallet in Telegram becomes Walt |
In 2024, TON Foundation launched Open League, an incentive program designed to attract users, developers and projects. According to Bitget Research, the initiative allocated roughly 30 million TON across rewards and ecosystem activities.
Where To Store GRAM Safely
NOW Wallet gives users a non-custodial route for storing GRAM and TON-based tokens.
Users can manage assets across mobile and desktop, back up access with a recovery phrase and use supported swap, buy and sell routes from one wallet interface.
Security still starts with the user. Always check the asset name, network, wallet address and official application source before sending funds.
During the GRAM rename period, avoid claim links, migration pages and unknown bridge prompts.
Conclusion
TON now connects wallets, Mini Apps, payments, digital assets and DeFi tools through Telegram-native user flows. Gram Wallet, Walt, TON Space, Stars, Fragment, Jettons and USDt give users several entry points into the same network.
GRAM gives the asset a new public identity. Before swapping, buying or selling GRAM, users should confirm the network, choose a compatible wallet and use supported routes.
