Toncoin/Gram Rename History
Published 6/15/2026, 7:34:46 PM
The naming history of this project involves two separate renames, not one:
Timeline
| Period | Name | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Gram | Telegram raised $1.7B via closed ICO; 171 initial purchasers including 39 US investors ($424.5M) |
| Oct 2019 | Gram | SEC filed complaint alleging Gram was an unregistered security |
| Mar 2020 | Gram | Federal court granted preliminary injunction against Telegram |
| Jun 2020 | Gram | Telegram settled: returned $1.224B to investors, paid $18.5M penalty, terminated the project |
| 2020–2021 | Toncoin | Independent developers forked the codebase → Free TON → Toncoin under TON Foundation |
| Jun 2026 | Gram | Pavel Durov announced rename back to Gram over a three-week transition |
Addressing the Claims
c1: Toncoin was originally named Gram during the Telegram Open Network era
- RESOLVED. The evidence confirms Gram was the original token name during the 2018 Telegram Open Network era. Round 1 buyers paid $0.37/GRAM; Round 2 buyers paid $1.33/GRAM.
c2: The rename from Gram to Toncoin was driven by Telegram's legal battle with the SEC and subsequent project abandonment
- RESOLVED. The SEC sued in October 2019, a court granted an injunction in March 2020, and Telegram settled in June 2020 by returning $1.224B to investors and paying an $18.5M penalty. The project was terminated and the open-source code released publicly. Independent developers then forked the codebase, launching Free TON in May 2020, which later rebranded to Toncoin under the TON Foundation in 2021.
c3: The rename matters because it reflects a structural shift from a corporate-backed token to a fully community-driven, decentralized network
- UNRESOLVED. The evidence does not support this framing. Instead, the data shows Telegram has deepened its role: it became the network's largest validator with approximately 28.2 million TON staked, and Pavel Durov is directly involved in governance. The June 2026 rename back to Gram was announced by Durov himself as "Step 4 of 7" in his "Make TON Great Again" roadmap. Far from decentralization, this represents re-centralization under Durov's direct control.
Does the Rename Matter?
Practically: No. No token swap is required — existing TON balances simply trade under the GRAM ticker. Balances, staking positions, and DeFi integrations remain identical.
Symbolically: Yes, in three ways:
| Dimension | Significance |
|---|---|
| Regulatory closure | Returning to "Gram" signals the SEC battle is over and Telegram is reclaiming its original vision |
| Telegram alignment | The rename accompanies Telegram's deeper integration as the largest validator |
| Brand continuity | Durov framed it as "returning to our roots — and starting a new chapter" |
The rename is best understood as a power move by Durov — asserting ownership over the token brand after years of regulatory exile, not a technical or economic change. The price climbed approximately 19% following the announcement (from ~$1.83 to $2.21), reflecting market optimism about Telegram's re-engagement.
What remains open: Whether Durov's "Make TON Great Again" roadmap will deliver meaningful decentralization or further entrench Telegram's control as the dominant validator.