Key Takeaways
- Telegram is introducing Gram Wallet for everyday payments, transfers, and purchases within the app, targeting its one billion users.
- Wallet in Telegram has become Walt, a separate app for trading, investing, earning yield, and managing assets across multiple chains.
- Existing Walt users keep their accounts and funds, as no migration is required.
Telegram is reshaping its crypto offering around two wallets, each with a different role. Its new self-custodial Gram Wallet is designed for payments and purchases within the messaging app, while Telegram’s Wallet has been renamed Walt and will focus on trading, investing, and other crypto services.
The rebrand took effect on September 28. Walt says Gram Wallet is being made available to Telegram’s one billion users, giving them an entry point to the ecosystem.
That figure describes the potential audience; it does not mean one billion people have opened or funded a wallet.
What Is Gram Wallet For?
Gram Wallet is intended to handle everyday activity inside Telegram. Users can use Gram for transfers and purchases tied to the platform, including digital gifts, usernames, Stars, and services offered through Telegram apps.
It is self-custodial, meaning users control the credentials to their assets. Walt describes the product as the simpler starting point for people who want to use crypto within Telegram, with a direct path to broader services if they choose to explore them.
That distinction matters because Telegram’s crypto tools have grown beyond a single wallet function.
Someone buying a collectible or sending funds to a friend has different needs from someone trading derivatives or holding assets across several blockchains. Gram Wallet is aimed at the first set of activities; Walt is aimed at the second.
The two products will also connect. Walt says its infrastructure lets users top up their Gram Wallet from Walt, providing a route between the everyday wallet and its wider crypto platform.
What Changes for Wallet Users?
For existing Telegram Wallet customers, Walt is the new name for the service they already use. Accounts, funds, and wallet addresses remain in place, and users do not need to migrate their assets.
The main visible change is where they find it. Walt is available through @walt on Telegram, while the existing @wallet address still opens the app. Walt no longer appears in Telegram’s settings, where Gram Wallet takes the simpler wallet role.
Walt’s current offering includes deposits and withdrawals for more than 300 assets across four chains, trading in more than 200 assets, and access to over 100 tokenized stocks, exchange-traded funds and metals, according to the company. It also offers Earn products and perpetual futures trading.
The rebrand reflects how far the app has moved from its origins as a bot for buying Toncoin and Bitcoin, said Andrew Rogozov, founder and CEO of The Open Platform and Walt.
In a letter announcing the change, he described Walt as the next step for users who want to go beyond basic crypto transactions.
Crypto Cards and AI Trading Are Next
Walt plans to expand into real-world spending through crypto cards.
It is also developing AI-assisted trading features that it says will help users analyze markets, assess portfolio risk, find potential trades, and execute perpetual futures through conversational interfaces.
Neither is part of the rebrand itself. Walt plans to roll out its crypto cards in stages, launching each new product separately.
For Telegram, the larger bet is that a simple wallet embedded in its app can bring users into crypto, while a connected platform gives interested users reasons to stay.
Whether that path gains traction will depend on how many people use Gram Wallet for routine transactions and then move on to Walt’s broader services.
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The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial advice. We do not make any warranties regarding the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. All investments involve risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We recommend consulting a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Giuseppe Ciccomascolo began his career as an investigative journalist in Italy, where he contributed to both local and national newspapers, focusing on various financial sectors.
Upon relocating to London, he worked as an analyst for Fitch's CapitalStructure and later as a Senior Reporter for Alliance News. In 2017, Giuseppe transitioned to covering cryptocurrency-related news, producing documentaries and articles on Bitcoin and other emerging digital currencies. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the academy for a cryptocurrency exchange website. Crypto remained his primary area of interest throughout his tenure as a writer for ThirdFloor.
