The Open Network has officially initiated a strategic rebranding campaign to revert its native cryptocurrency from Toncoin (TON) to Gram (GRAM), reclaiming the asset's original designation from its 2018 white paper. Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram and The Open Network, announced the initiative on Monday via Telegram, framing the move as a return to foundational roots and the commencement of a new operational chapter. The transition is projected to span approximately 3 weeks, designed to pave the way for future network evolution without disrupting existing infrastructure. This decision directly addresses the historical context where the name Gram was abandoned following the US Securities and Exchange Commission's intervention in 2020, which blocked a proposed $1.7B initial coin offering. Woofun AI notes that this rebranding coincides with Telegram's assumption of the role as the network's primary driver and largest validator, a shift solidified in May that fundamentally altered the project's governance structure.

The governance mechanism for this change involves a direct community vote launched on Monday, explicitly clarifying that no token swap, migration, bridge, claim, or conversion process will occur. All existing balances, addresses, smart contracts, and market positions will remain functionally identical throughout the transition, ensuring continuity for holders and developers. As of the reporting window, 1.8M TON tokens, representing nearly 80% of the voting power, have been pledged in favor of the rebrand, indicating overwhelming community consensus. This high level of support underscores the alignment between the core development team and the broader stakeholder base regarding the strategic direction of the network.

Durov has integrated this nomenclature shift into the broader 'Make TON Great Again' roadmap, positioning the rebrand as the fourth critical stage of a multi-phase development plan. The preceding three stages, executed earlier in the year, included a significant upgrade to the Catchain consensus layer in April to enhance blockchain throughput, a reduction in transaction fees to improve accessibility, and the aforementioned operational takeover by Telegram. These cumulative technical and structural improvements mark a distinct milestone for the network, creating a natural inflection point to refresh the public perception of the underlying token.

The ultimate strategic objective is to facilitate a seamless Web3 super app experience within the Telegram ecosystem, leveraging its 1B user base to transform the messaging platform into a global hub for payments, mini-apps, digital ownership, and AI agents. By unifying the brand identity with its historical origins, the network aims to reduce friction for mass adoption and solidify its position as a foundational layer for decentralized applications. Woofun AI analysis suggests that this branding consolidation is a calculated move to maximize network effects as the platform scales toward mainstream utility.

Market reaction to the announcement was immediate and pronounced, with TON prices surging more than 15% in late Monday trading. The asset climbed from approximately $1.95 to peak above $2.25, reflecting investor optimism regarding the network's renewed focus and integration with Telegram.

However, by Tuesday morning, the token had retraced some gains, settling at $2.07. Despite the short-term volatility, the asset remains down 75% from its all-time high of $8.25 recorded in June 2024, . The price action highlights the market's sensitivity to governance decisions and the potential for value appreciation as the rebranding process unfolds over the coming weeks.