USDTelegram Bids for .gram Top-Level Domain to Link Usernames and Websites
Messaging Platform Seeks Web Addresses for 1 Billion Users in ICANN 2026 Expansion Round
TL;DR
- Telegram applied for the .gram domain in ICANN's 2026 expansion to give its 1 billion users custom web addresses.
- The approval process faces over 1,600 competing applications, with final domain strings scheduled for publishing by mid-October 2026.
- The GRAM token traded near $1.32 with a $3.65 billion market capitalization, down 84% from its June 2024 peak.
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Telegram has formally applied to operate the .gram top-level domain (TLD) as part of ICANN's 2026 new generic top-level domain (gTLD) expansion round. The move aims to allow Telegram's more than one billion users to convert their messaging handles into personal web addresses formatted as "yourname.gram."
The application window for ICANN's 2026 new gTLD expansion closed on August 12, 2026, after remaining open for 15 weeks. ICANN received more than 1,600 primary new gTLD applications during this period, alongside roughly 1,100 backup string requests submitted as contingency options if a primary string is contested or rejected. This marks the first new gTLD application window ICANN has opened since 2012.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov confirmed the plan, stating that if the .gram bid achieves approval, users can claim matching addresses and publish interactive websites hosted directly by Telegram. Durov noted that users will be able to generate these interactive web pages using a single AI prompt. Unlike corporate domains operated by companies such as Google and Amazon for internal branding, Telegram's stated goal is distributing domain addresses directly to individual users.
ICANN Evaluation Process and GRAM Token Market Performance
ICANN is scheduled to publish the list of cleared and approved domain strings by mid-October 2026. Approved applications must subsequently pass a formal evaluation phase, potential third-party objections, contention resolution, and final contracting before going live. Due to this multi-stage process, a working .gram address is improbable before 2027. Approval for the .gram string remains pending, and key operational details—such as whether addresses will be free or if every account will automatically receive one—remain unconfirmed.
On the market side, according to data tracked on COIN360, the GRAM token price traded near $1.32 following the announcement. Data from COIN360 indicates the token's total coin market cap stood at approximately $3.65 billion. The GRAM price reflects an 84% drop from its all-time high of $8.25 reached in June 2024, as well as a 35% decline over the trailing 90-day period leading into the domain announcement.
Alongside the top-level domain application, Telegram is expanding its crypto product suite. The company is developing a native, non-custodial wallet, rolling out additional wallet functionality, and maintaining an ongoing role in the validator infrastructure of the blockchain network formerly associated with Toncoin. If approved by ICANN, the .gram initiative would create a single system linking messaging usernames, personal websites, and crypto assets under one identity layer.
FAQs
What is Telegram's primary objective with the .gram domain application?
Telegram aims to let its one billion users turn their app handles into personal, AI-generated web addresses.
When will ICANN publish the initial list of approved domains?
ICANN is expected to publish the cleared list of domain strings by mid-October 2026.
What is the earliest expected public availability date for .gram web addresses?
A public launch is improbable before 2027 due to ICANN's multi-stage evaluation and contracting pipeline.
How has the GRAM token performed relative to its record valuation?
The GRAM price at $1.32 sits roughly 84% below its June 2024 high of $8.25.
This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.
