Overview
- Telegram founder Pavel Durov posted a dashboard showing about 714,844 self-custodial Gram Wallets created in a 48-hour span, with roughly 330,000 activations in a single day.
- The surge was driven by an automatic-activation mechanic that enables a wallet to be created the moment a user receives Gram tokens, turning transfers into instant registrations.
- The new native Gram Wallet is separate from Telegram’s existing @wallet mini-app and is non-custodial, meaning users hold their own keys and must manage recovery themselves.
- Independent verification of on-chain activity and retention is lacking, and analysts estimate many fewer daily active wallets and limited DeFi liquidity on TON than the raw registration number implies.
- Telegram’s growing operational role in TON, including plans to replace the TON Foundation and serve as the largest validator, has raised concerns about centralization and increases scrutiny of whether sign-ups will translate to lasting network use.