TONЦена Gram (prev. Toncoin)

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has publicly responded after Russian authorities designated him a "terrorist," claiming the move came after he refused government demands for mass surveillance and censorship. The Russian Federal Security Service accused him of facilitating terrorist activity by failing to remove channels used by terrorist groups and Ukrainian intelligence, building on a criminal case launched in February. Durov's legal challenges extend beyond Russia. He faced arrest in France in 2024 over allegations Telegram failed to adequately moderate illegal content, though he was later allowed to return to Dubai. The platform is also facing new court proceedings in Australia for allegedly not removing terrorism-related content. Positioning himself as a defender of free speech and digital privacy, Durov has criticized proposed EU surveillance measures and threatened to leave France if forced to grant access to users' private messages.

Russian lawmaker Andrey Svintsov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, has advised citizens against purchasing Telegram's Gram cryptocurrency, urging them to await official guidance from Roskomnadzor and the FSB before making any financial transactions via Telegram channels. He reiterated demands for Telegram to open a Russian office, store user data locally, and cooperate with security services. This warning follows reports that Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been charged in Russia with facilitating terrorist activity. The FSB alleges Telegram failed to remove channels and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups to coordinate acts of terrorism, sabotage, and cyber fraud, resulting in casualties and billions in damages. Russia's Investigative Committee linked the case specifically to a dating bot with over 13 million users, allegedly used for recruitment. Durov, detained by French authorities, confirmed the terrorism-related charges in late February. In June, he announced the rebranding of his 2019 crypto project back to its original name, Gram, with Telegram taking full control. Following the accusations, Gram's price dipped but has since partially recovered, though it remains well below its May peak and is down 14% over the past year.

Cybercriminals are exploiting news surrounding Telegram and its founder Pavel Durov to launch new phishing schemes targeting the Gram cryptocurrency. They create fake websites and Telegram bots, designed to mimic official platforms, to pressure users. Common tactics include urging people to urgently exchange old tokens, withdraw funds ahead of an alleged platform block, or receive free crypto through special services. Experts note a sharp rise in suspicious domain registrations mentioning Telegram, Durov, or Gram, with phishing domains doubling recently. The scams rely not on hacking technology, but on psychological manipulation—leveraging fear of loss, promises of easy profits, and a false sense of urgency. The fraudsters build complex "ecosystems of false trust," guiding victims from search results to channels, bots, and ultimately fake sites to steal seed phrases or authorize transactions. Officials warn that Telegram does not distribute cryptocurrency or conduct token conversions via third-party sites. The primary defense remains user caution: avoid clicking promotional links, never enter seed phrases on external sites, and use only official Telegram services for crypto wallets.

TON Strategy, the company managing the cryptocurrency treasury for The Open Network (TON) ecosystem, reported its Q2 results. The company generated $15 million in revenue from staking Gram (the rebranded native asset, formerly Toncoin) and increased its reserve to approximately 230.5 million tokens. This represents about 4.4% of Gram's total supply and 35% of all tokens staked on the network. The staking yield for the quarter was approximately 17%, attributed partly to the Catchain 2.0 consensus update which sped up block creation. The company's fair value of digital assets rose to about $369.5 million from $272 million in Q1. Net profit from continuing operations before tax was $83.5 million, a significant turnaround from a $91.3 million loss in the prior quarter, heavily influenced by an $82.8 million net gain from the change in Gram's fair value. TON Strategy also completed measures to wind down legacy operations, terminating contracts and reducing staff costs, which is expected to cut annual cash operating expenses by around $4 million. CEO Kevin Wilson stated the company now has a more focused business model centered on accumulating Gram and developing the TON ecosystem. He highlighted TON's growing integration with Telegram, its increased speed and lower fees, and its potential role in payments, digital ownership, and AI agents capable of transacting on behalf of users.

Telegram has applied for the new top-level domain ".gram," founder Pavel Durov announced. If approved by ICANN, the service's over one billion monthly users could claim second-level domains (like yourname.gram) and, with a single click, create interactive websites hosted on Telegram's platform. This move follows recent instability with Telegram's "t.me" short links, which were temporarily disabled for nearly a day in July due to a domain registrar's compliance action related to a US sanctions list. Owning its own TLD would give Telegram greater control over its links and help mitigate similar disruptions. The application aligns with Telegram's broader stance on resisting government surveillance and content censorship, as the platform has faced conflicts and penalties in regions like the EU, Russia, and Ukraine. It also comes shortly after Apple briefly removed Telegram from the App Store for policy-violating content, a decision Durov criticized as an overreaction.