Telegram Launches Self-Custodial TON Wallet in United States

Telegram launched its self-custodial crypto app, the TON Wallet, in the United States. American users can now send, receive, and manage digital assets directly within the Telegram messaging platform, with fiat on‑ramps (ways to buy crypto with regular money) provided through a partnership with MoonPay.

Telegram began rolling out its native, self-custodial (meaning users control their own private keys) TON Wallet to its 87 million American users on July 22, 2025. The wallet enables in-app crypto functionality for Toncoin, USDT and other TON-based tokens within the messaging service.

Built on The Open Network blockchain and backed by the TON Foundation, the wallet is embedded directly into the Telegram interface. Users do not need external downloads, browser extensions or third-party custodians to manage their crypto holdings.

The wallet offers built-in trading via Omniston and STON.fi, plus staking through partner protocols. Users also can purchase USDT with zero fees through Apple Pay, Google Pay or credit cards via MoonPay. A new off-ramp feature allows users to withdraw funds directly to bank cards.

Egor Danilov, chief product officer at The Open Platform and Telegram Wallet, said the wallet is pivotal in connecting users with payments, games and onchain tools, all within a familiar environment they interact with daily.

Telegram plans to roll out advanced fraud-prevention tools including whitelists, blacklists and transaction emulation to help users make safer choices before confirming transactions.

Telegram first enabled peer-to-peer Toncoin transfers via its @wallet_bot in April 2022. The company introduced a self-custodial browser-based wallet, TON Space, to international users in September 2023. Regulatory uncertainty had delayed a U.S. launch until now.

In April 2024, Tether issued a native USDT on the TON blockchain. A March 2025 wallet upgrade added trading and staking features to 100 million Telegram users worldwide.