Telegram has submitted an application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers for the .gram top-level domain. Founder Pavel Durov said the move, if successful, would allow the messaging platform’s more than one billion users to obtain second-level domains and create interactive websites hosted by the company.

Durov announced the filing in a post on X, stating that approval could open access to personal addresses such as yourname.gram. He added that users would be able to generate interactive websites on Telegram infrastructure using a single text prompt. The company has not released further technical details on the hosting system, pricing, allocation rules or a potential launch timeline.

ICANN Process and Application Window

The application forms part of ICANN’s 2026 New Generic Top-Level Domain Program, the first major expansion round since 2012. The submission window opened on April 30 and closed on August 12, attracting more than 1,600 applications. ICANN is expected to publish the full list of applicants on Reveal Day, projected within nine weeks of the deadline.

A successful bid would require Telegram to pass technical, operational and string evaluations, resolve any objections or contention, and enter a registry agreement before the domain can be delegated into the Domain Name System. Telegram has not identified its proposed registry service provider or disclosed the current status of the review.

Under the proposed model, .gram would function as a conventional internet top-level domain rather than a blockchain-based naming system. Second-level names would sit under Telegram’s administrative control as the registry operator. The company has not clarified whether domains would be distributed free of charge, sold, auctioned or linked directly to existing Telegram usernames.

Connection to Existing Telegram Features and the Gram Token

Telegram already supports Mini Apps that run inside the messenger and authenticate via user accounts. The platform has also developed an in-app browser and Mini App store. Pairing .gram addresses with hosted websites could extend those services beyond the current username and bot structure, giving them standard internet addresses.

The choice of .gram coincides with recent developments in The Open Network ecosystem. In June, the community voted with more than 81 percent support to rename the native token from Toncoin to Gram. The blockchain itself retained its name, while the ticker and branding changed. Telegram had earlier announced plans to take a larger role in directing the network, becoming its largest validator and introducing new tools, payment features and bridges.

Gram was the original name planned for Telegram’s cryptocurrency project that was halted in 2020 following a dispute with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Independent developers continued the open-source network, which later drew renewed involvement from Telegram.

Market Context and Outstanding Questions

At the time of the announcement, the Gram token was trading near $1.32 with a market capitalization of approximately $3.65 billion. The price remains well below its June 2024 peak of $8.25. Market reaction to the domain application itself has been limited so far.

Telegram has not specified how domain ownership would interact with existing usernames or whether the system would compete with or complement the blockchain naming service already operating on The Open Network. Regulatory attention on Telegram’s username system in certain jurisdictions, including inquiries about fraud and impersonation risks, forms part of the broader operating environment in which the proposal is advancing.

ICANN approval remains the required next step. Until the evaluation process concludes and a registry agreement is signed, the .gram domain and associated website features cannot launch.