Telegram Becomes TON's Largest Validator as Token Is Renamed Gram
Telegram has taken the largest validator position on The Open Network and is renaming the network's native currency to Gram, part of a roadmap published by founder Pavel Durov.
The Open Network, usually shortened to TON, is a blockchain originally designed by the team behind the Telegram messaging app before the two formally separated in 2020. In a series of posts on his official Telegram channel, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has now announced two notable changes: Telegram has become the network's largest validator, and TON's native currency is being renamed to Gram. Both moves are described as part of a multi-step plan he calls "Make TON Great Again."
A validator is one of the computers that keeps a blockchain running by checking transactions and adding them to the shared record, earning rewards for doing so honestly. On a network like TON, validators stake the network's token as collateral, and the more stake a validator controls, the greater its influence over how the network operates.
The validator change
According to Durov's channel, Telegram has stepped in as the network's largest validator, taking over from the TON Foundation, the nonprofit that had previously anchored that role. Durov framed the change as strengthening rather than concentrating the network. He stated that "with 400 validators across 6 continents, TON is one of the most decentralized blockchain networks on the planet," and argued that Telegram becoming the largest validator "opened the door for major exchanges and custodians to stake TON without increasing centralization risk."
The reasoning he offered is that a well-resourced anchor validator gives large institutions a reference point for participating, rather than each newcomer having to shoulder outsized responsibility for the network's security on its own.
The Gram rebrand
Durov also announced that "TON's native currency is becoming Gram," noting that Gram was the original name used for the token in the project's first whitepaper. Importantly, he specified that "TON remains the name of the blockchain," so only the currency is being renamed, not the network itself.
He described the rename as "step 4 of 7 to Make TON Great Again," indicating further changes are planned, and said the transition would take around three weeks as wallets, services, and applications across the ecosystem adopt the new name.
The Gram name carries history. It was attached to Telegram's original blockchain ambitions in 2018, a project that was wound down in 2020 after a dispute with United States securities regulators. Reviving the name signals a deliberate return to that earlier vision.
What it means for holders
Based on what Durov has stated publicly, the change to Gram is presented as a renaming rather than a swap to a different asset, with the blockchain continuing to operate as before. As with any rollout of this kind, holders should rely on official TON and Telegram channels for guidance and treat unofficial instructions, especially any asking for funds or private keys, with caution.
Sources
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