Key Insights:
- Telegram might merge the username, web creation, circulation and host under a single ecosystem of accounts.
- This is the model of publishing for users who want to create their own website simply, which might overturn “conventional” website builders.
- Telegram would be subject to further compliance, abuse and technical duties if it operated registry services.
Telegram .gram could extend Telegram beyond messaging after the company formally applied for the top-level domain. Founder Pavel Durov announced the ICANN application on Aug. 18, targeting personal domains and Telegram-hosted interactive websites.
If approved, Telegram’s roughly one billion users could turn existing usernames into standalone web addresses. The proposal would also connect identity, publishing, and hosting within Telegram’s expanding digital ecosystem.
Durov confirms the ICANN application
Durov disclosed the application on X after ICANN’s 2026 application window closed on Aug. 12. The filing entered the first major application round for new generic top-level domains since 2012.
Under the proposal, an account using @durov could eventually operate durov.gram. However, the proposal reaches beyond personalized addresses. Durov said users could build interactive websites through command-based inputs and host them directly through Telegram.
The concept could lower technical barriers for users without web development experience. A prompt-driven publishing system could handle website creation while Telegram manages the underlying infrastructure. Telegram .gram would therefore connect an established username system with public websites outside traditional chat interfaces.
ICANN received more than 1,600 primary applications during the latest round. Applicants also submitted roughly 1,100 backup-string requests. Approval remains uncertain. ICANN must evaluate applications before successful applicants can proceed toward registry agreements and eventual delegation.
The Gram name carries a complicated history
The Gram name already has deep roots in Telegram’s cryptocurrency history. Telegram introduced the Telegram Open Network project in 2017 and planned Gram as its native token. The project later faced regulatory action in the United States. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued to stop Telegram’s token sale.
Telegram abandoned its direct involvement in the blockchain project in 2020. Independent developers subsequently continued the network, which evolved into today’s TON blockchain ecosystem.
The associated cryptocurrency became known as Toncoin during that transition. The Gram name returned to the token’s branding in mid-2026. Meanwhile, a separate community-led .gram DNS initiative operates within the TON ecosystem. That service remains independent from Telegram as a company.
That distinction matters because an ICANN-approved domain would operate through the conventional global Domain Name System.
Telegram already has a foundation for web services
Telegram does not enter this territory without existing infrastructure. Its Mini Apps platform already supports web-style applications inside the messaging service. Developers have used Mini Apps for games, financial tools, utilities, and cryptocurrency services. TON-focused projects have become particularly visible within that ecosystem.
Telegram .gram could take that model beyond the application itself. Public domains would give Telegram identities a presence across the wider internet. Still, operating internet infrastructure brings different risks. Telegram’s t.me domain faced a temporary server hold from July 13 through July 14.
The disruption was reported to be related to compliance. The episode brought to light the working difficulties of an internet service that is available all over the world.
Approval could reshape Telegram’s competitive position
Telegram .gram would place the company closer to website platforms, hosting providers, and digital identity services.
The strategy differs from traditional corporate top-level domains. Companies including Google and Amazon operate branded namespaces, but Telegram proposes broader user access.
That approach could turn usernames into portable public identities. It might also boost the retention of users by retaining publishing infrastructure within the Telegram family.
But obtaining the best domain name is more than just gaining approval for the name. Registry operators must meet technical, security, abuse-management, and administrative requirements.
ICANN’s evaluation and contracting process can also take months. Consequently, users should not expect functioning .gram websites immediately. ICANN plans to publish information on cleared strings during the application process. Contention over competing applications could extend the timeline further.
Durov has not announced pricing or confirmed whether users would receive domains without charge. Telegram also lacks a firm launch date.
Conclusion
The application marks a potentially significant expansion of Telegram’s internet ambitions. The company wants to move user identities from messaging profiles toward independently accessible web destinations. The larger opportunity lies in combining distribution, identity, website generation, and hosting inside one platform.
Yet ICANN approval remains the decisive hurdle. Even a successful application would require technical deployment and registry compliance before public availability.
A practical implementation would then be possible until 2027 or even later. Until now, Telegram’s application is not a domain service, but an ambitious infrastructure strategy.
