Quick answer: The Telegram Money wallet is a built-in, non-custodial wallet for GRAM that Telegram began opening to far more users on Oct. 9, 2026, per Walt’s post on X. It appears after you receive a transfer. GRAM traded at $1.45 on Oct. 10, 13:50 UTC, down 2.4% in 24 hours, per CoinGecko.
The Telegram Money wallet is now opening to far more of the app’s users, so people can hold and send GRAM inside their chats. However, access is still gradual, and the token’s quick rally has already cooled.
What happened with the Telegram Money wallet
On Oct. 9, 2026, at 15:26 UTC, Walt announced the wider rollout on X. “It used to be available to only some Telegram users,” the post said. “Now the wallet is called Money, and Telegram is rolling it out widely inside the messenger to its audience of over a billion people.”
Money stores and sends GRAM. It can also buy Telegram gifts and collectible usernames, according to The Defiant and Crypto Journal. There is one catch, though. The Money section appears only after someone sends you a transfer. So two friends may still see different screens today.
Money vs Walt: two wallets, two jobs
The naming can confuse new users, so here is the short version.
- Money is Telegram’s own non-custodial wallet. You hold the keys, and it handles GRAM transfers plus gifts and usernames.
- Walt is the service formerly called Wallet. It took its new name on Sep. 28, 2026, and offers more than 300 assets, including tokenized stocks, metals, perpetual futures and Earn products, per Crypto Journal and TG.app.
In addition, Walt’s main wallet is custodial, which means the service holds the keys for you. Users can top up Money from Walt in a few taps. Walt says those internal transfers are instant and carry no network fees. That claim covers the Walt-to-Money hop, not every transaction on the TON blockchain.
GRAM itself is not a new coin. It is the new name for Toncoin. The ticker changed from TON to GRAM on June 15, 2026, after a community vote, and holders did not need to swap anything. CoinGecko now lists it as “Gram (prev. Toncoin).”
Why the Telegram Money wallet matters
Distribution is the real story here. Most crypto wallets fight for downloads. In contrast, the Telegram Money wallet sits inside an app that more than a billion people already use. Sending GRAM can start from the same chat where you discuss the payment.
That said, non-custodial also means personal responsibility. If you lose your recovery phrase, nobody at Telegram can restore your funds. Likewise, anyone who tricks you into sharing it can drain the wallet. Fake “activation” bots and support accounts tend to follow launches like this one. Our guide on how to spot crypto scams covers the common tricks, and our self-custody wallet setup guide explains how to store a seed phrase safely.
GRAM price data: a rally that faded fast
Markets reacted, but only briefly. Crypto Times reported an 8.7% gain on Oct. 9, and some outlets quoted a price of $1.56. CoinGecko’s hourly data shows a smaller peak. GRAM rose from about $1.35 at 16:00 UTC on Oct. 8 to roughly $1.49 at 14:00 UTC on Oct. 9.
Notably, most of that move came before Walt’s English post. The jump began around 10:00 UTC, several hours before that post went out. By Oct. 10 at 13:50 UTC, GRAM traded at $1.45, down 2.4% in 24 hours, with a market value near $4.10 billion, per CoinGecko. For context, Bitcoin sat at $82,751 at the same time.
There is also a pattern worth noting. GRAM hit its 30-day high of about $1.68 on Sep. 28, the day Walt took its new name. It then gave back most of that gain within a week. Product news has lifted the token twice this month, yet neither move has lasted so far.
Our take: users first, price later
In our view, the rollout is a bigger deal for adoption than for the price this week. A wallet only creates demand for GRAM if people actually send it to each other. The activation rule helps here, since every new wallet needs an incoming transfer to appear. As a result, existing users have a reason to send small amounts to friends.
On the other hand, the early gains came from headlines, not usage data. Telegram has not published official numbers for active Money wallets. Until it does, claims about wallet counts on social media are hard to check.
What to watch next
- Official usage figures. Data on active wallets or transfer volume from Telegram or TON would show real demand.
- Onchain activity. Rising daily GRAM transfers on TON would confirm that people use Money, not just open it.
- Support issues. At least one user on X reported a rejected Walt-to-Money withdrawal on Oct. 10. Watch for fixes as the rollout grows.
If you want to spend crypto rather than just send it, our crypto card comparison covers cards that link to a wallet.
Telegram Money wallet FAQ
How do I get the Telegram Money wallet?
Update Telegram and look for Money in the app. If it is not there, the rollout may not have reached you yet. Walt says the Money section appears after someone sends you a transfer.
Is the Telegram Money wallet custodial?
No. Money is non-custodial, so you control the keys and the recovery phrase. Walt, the separate service formerly called Wallet, holds keys for users in its main wallet.
Which coins does Money support?
At launch, Money focuses on GRAM, the token formerly called Toncoin, plus Telegram gifts and collectible usernames. Walt handles more than 300 other assets.
Sources
- Walt on X: Telegram is launching its wallet for everyone (Oct. 9, 2026)
- The Defiant: Telegram rolls out Money wallet for Gram transfers and collectibles
- Crypto Journal: Telegram expands rollout of Money wallet for Gram
- Crypto Times: GRAM rises 8.7% as Telegram expands Money wallet access
- TG.app: Telegram Money wallet features and Walt explained
- CoinGecko: Gram (prev. Toncoin) price data
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Do your own research before you buy or sell any crypto asset.
