TLDR: Telegram has officially launched its in-app cryptocurrency wallet, TON Wallet, for users in the United States, marking a significant expansion into the financial sector. This move, coupled with a substantial investment in integrating the Grok AI chatbot, underscores Telegram’s ambition to evolve into a comprehensive ‘super app’ offering seamless digital asset management and advanced AI functionalities.
Telegram, the popular cloud-based messaging service, has rolled out its native cryptocurrency wallet, TON Wallet, to its extensive user base in the United States. The launch, which commenced on July 22, 2025, represents a pivotal step in Telegram’s strategic push to deepen its involvement in finance and artificial intelligence. This integration makes TON Wallet the first self-custodial crypto wallet to be embedded directly within a major social platform available to US users.
The TON Wallet, developed by The Open Platform (TOP) and built on The Open Network (TON) blockchain, allows users to send, receive, and store various digital assets, including USDT, Toncoin (the native currency of TON), Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and other TON-based tokens and NFTs, directly within the Telegram application. The design aims to simplify crypto transactions, making them as intuitive as sending a regular message, thereby eliminating the need for external downloads or browser extensions.
Andrew Rogozov, CEO of The Open Platform and Wallet in Telegram, emphasized the user-centric approach, stating, “We’ve embedded crypto natively into Telegram, not as an add-on, but as part of how people already communicate. With Wallet in Telegram, sending digital assets feels as simple as sending a message, no friction, no extra steps. At the same time, users stay in full control of their keys and funds.”
Globally, the TON Wallet has already seen substantial adoption, with over 100 million users activating the wallet in 2024 across markets in Asia and Europe. The US launch was previously delayed due to regulatory uncertainties, but a perceived shift in the regulatory climate and Telegram’s significant user growth in the region (over 87 million US users) made the timing opportune.
The wallet boasts several features designed for mainstream accessibility, including 0% fees on crypto purchases made via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or credit cards through a partnership with MoonPay. It also offers an off-ramp feature, allowing users to withdraw crypto funds directly to their bank cards. For enhanced security and ease of use, the TON Wallet employs a split-key backup system, linking one key to the user’s Telegram account and another to their email, simplifying the onboarding process by reducing the reliance on traditional seed phrases.
Beyond its financial ambitions, Telegram is also making a significant foray into artificial intelligence. The company has announced a major deal involving a $300 million investment to deeply integrate the Grok AI chatbot across all Telegram applications. This strategic move, which builds on a more limited test of Grok for Telegram Premium users initiated in March, aims to provide users with access to ‘the best AI technology on the market’ and is a key component of Telegram’s vision to become a comprehensive ‘super app.’ This combination of native crypto payments and powerful AI integration highlights Telegram’s expansive ambitions and has already spurred a nearly 20% surge in the TON token’s value, reflecting strong market enthusiasm.
The Open Platform, the developer behind the TON Wallet, recently secured $28.5 million in a Series A funding round, led by fintech specialist Ribbit Capital with participation from Pantera Capital, valuing the company at $1 billion. This investment is expected to fuel further expansion into the US and European markets while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
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This dual expansion into integrated financial services and advanced AI positions Telegram to compete directly with established US players like Cash App and Coinbase, as it seeks to offer a holistic digital experience to its vast global user base.
