After the Toncoin → Gram rebrand (June 1, 2026), the Telegram-currencies picture became clearer: now a Telegram user has two native currencies — Stars (internal in-app) and Gram (TON blockchain native). They are different and used for different purposes.
This piece is a practical guide: when to use what, how to convert, fees and taxes, and where this dual-currency world is heading.
The key difference in one table
| Parameter | Telegram Stars | Gram |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | In-app Telegram currency | Native cryptocurrency of TON blockchain |
| Where stored | Inside Telegram (server-side) | On a crypto wallet (Tonkeeper, MyTonWallet) |
| Buy with | Fiat (card, Apple Pay) | Crypto exchange, swap, P2P |
| Sell as | Only convert to TON/Gram | Fiat via exchange, P2P |
| Who controls | Telegram (custodial) | You (self-custody) |
| Can be frozen | Yes (Telegram can) | No (if you hold the seed) |
| Transferable | Within Telegram only | Globally via TON blockchain |
| Price volatile | Pegged ~$0.012 | Market-determined (volatile) |
| Tax at purchase | None (treated as virtual goods) | None |
| Tax at sale/conversion | Yes (treated as income) | Yes (capital gains) |
What Stars and Gram can both do
- Pay for Telegram channels premium / paywalls
- Channel tips (creator tips)
- Telegram gifts (cheap version)
- Mini App in-app purchases
What only Stars can do
- Buy Telegram Premium directly (Gram not yet)
- Buy emoji and stickers in Sticker Store
- Boosts of channels (channel ranking)
- Pre-built Apple/Google Pay integration (easy for non-crypto users)
What only Gram can do
- Crypto-trading (Binance/Bybit/OKX/MEXC etc. exchanges)
- DeFi — staking (Tonstakers), LP pools (STON.fi), lending (EVAA)
- NFTs (Fragment, Getgems, marketplaces)
- Cross-border P2P without banks and regulations
- Long-term store of value (if you believe in the project)
- Smart-contract operations (any TON Connect dApp)
Scenarios — when to use which
Scenario 1: Want to buy Telegram Premium
→ Stars. Direct path.
Steps:
- Open Wallet by Telegram
- P2P → Buy Stars ($4.99 = 500 Stars)
- Telegram → Settings → Premium → Pay with Stars
- Done
Pick Gram if: MTONGA step 5 brings direct Gram-Premium payment (estimated July 2026).
Scenario 2: Want to tip a channel author
→ Stars for $0.5-5 tips, Gram for $10+.
Reason: Stars have a small purchase markup (5-10%) but the transactional flow is simpler — a click in the channel. Gram tip via @CryptoBot — better for large sums but less convenient.
Scenario 3: Want to save $1000 for 6 months
→ Gram in liquid staking (tsTON, bemo).
Reason: Stars don’t have stake-yield. Gram via Tonstakers gives 3.5% APR. Plus Gram has upside potential from price growth (or downside).
Scenario 4: Want to buy a TG-gift for a friend
→ Gram via Fragment (collectible upgrade) or Stars for regular gift.
Regular gift = Stars (3-99 Stars, cheap). Collectible upgrade = Gram-required (~0.5 Gram = $2.50).
Scenario 5: Want to pay a Mini App developer
→ Gram via TON Connect.
Reason: Stars payments via Telegram Apple/Google take a 30% cut. Gram via TON Connect — 0% cut, direct transfer to the developer. That’s the main reason mini-app devs prefer TON Connect.
Scenario 6: Want to trade on Bybit/OKX
→ Gram. Stars aren’t traded on CEXes.
How to convert
Stars → Gram
- Open Wallet by Telegram
- Bottom tabs: “P2P” → “Convert”
- Select: From Stars → To Gram (or TON, label depends on UI update)
- Enter amount (min 100 Stars ≈ $1.20)
- Confirm
- Within seconds Gram balance grows
Rate: ~1 Star = 0.0025 Gram (market-dependent). Spread: 1-2%.
Gram → Stars
- Open Wallet by Telegram
- “Convert” → From Gram → To Stars
- Enter amount
- Confirm
Rate: same, slightly less favorable (Telegram takes spread both ways).
Alternatives:
- Crypto Bot: @CryptoBot → /exchange → TON ↔ Stars conversion
- xRocket: similar via @xRocket
Tax implications
Russia (since 2025 “Digital Currency Law”)
- Buying Stars with fiat — NO tax (consumption, not investment)
- Using Stars for in-app purchases — NO tax
- Converting Stars → Gram — taxed as Stars disposal (like virtual goods). At meaningful amounts (>1M ₽) may require declaration.
- Buying Gram via Wallet — NO tax (investment, not income)
- Selling Gram (to exchange or converting to Stars) — taxed as personal income tax 13-15% on capital gains.
See our Gram-tax guide.
EU (MiCA, 2024+)
- Stars — still in a gray area of MiCA. Telegram-Wallet is registered as CASP and may face reporting requirements.
- Gram — falls into MiCA “other crypto-assets,” subject to capital-gains taxation.
US (IRS, 2025+)
- Stars — virtual goods (no tax on purchase/use)
- Gram — cryptocurrency (full crypto-tax treatment)
Future outlook
MTONGA step 5 (expected, July 2026)
Durov hasn’t disclosed, but likely — deep Gram integration into Telegram products:
- Premium staking — stake N Gram → Telegram Premium auto-enabled
- Default Gram payments in Mini Apps — TON Connect primary, Stars fallback for non-crypto users
- Stars-as-Gram-derivative (speculative) — Stars become pegged to Gram, automatic conversion
Long-term outlook
By end of 2026, interop between Stars and Gram is expected to become smoother — users may not think about which currency they’re using; Telegram routes the optimal path automatically.
Bottom line
Stars and Gram are complementary, not competing.
Stars — for easy in-app spending by non-crypto users (Premium, tips, mini-app purchases).
Gram — for crypto-native scenarios: trading, DeFi, NFTs, cross-border, long-term store of value.
Most Telegram users in 2026 hold both currencies: $5-20 in Stars for daily in-app spending, and Gram for serious crypto activity.
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