telegram isn't just a chat app anymore. pavel durov’s vision is to make it a "super-app" with the ton (the open network) blockchain integration, telegram is moving towards decentralization and ai. they are already working on ai tools (like cocoon) to give users more power without compromising privacy. telegram is basically becoming the "internet of the future"

the marketplace for usernames is fragment.com. here, usernames are converted into nfts on the ton blockchain. once you buy it, you truly own it—not even telegram can take it back easily

you might have heard about names like @news ($2.4m+), @auto ($1.4m), or the recent crazy sale of @danbao for over $2.2m

be careful! not every million-dollar sale is "real" sales like @danbao (a chinese term for "guarantor") are often linked to wash trading or moving "grey money" to make it look legal. it’s not always about the name's beauty; sometimes it's about the transaction itself

mostly crypto investors from dubai, russia, the us, and china. they see these names as "digital real estate" just like people bought dot-com domains in the 90s, they are hoarding short telegram handles now

the hype is real: as telegram hits 1 billion users, the demand for unique names will skyrocket

the risk: the value of your username is tied to the price of toncoin. if ton drops, the dollar value of your username drops too

scam alert: beware of bots offering to buy your username for thousands of dollars. always use fragment.com to stay safe

it’s not just about 4 or 5-letter names anymore. while short handles are rare, the future of the username marketplace is moving toward "meaningful" and "searchable" words. industry-specific keywords related to ai, crypto, gaming, casino and infrastructure—like rwa, zk, fhe, did, bvm, or fi —are becoming massive assets because they are attention-grabbing and hold high branding value

if you own a name that is easy to remember, attractive for a global brand, or sits at the top of telegram’s search results, hold onto it. but don't waste money on random strings of letters thinking you’ll get rich overnight. the market is getting smarter; only premium, high-demand, and industry-relevant names will hold real long-term value. stay sharp, look for the next big trend, and keep an eye on the ecosystem

the open network community has officially completed a governance vote with 81.22% approval to rebrand its native token from toncoin back to its original 2018 name gram. the official transition will take place on june 15, 2026. the underlying blockchain name will remain ton, but the token ticker changes to $gram. this change was backed by pavel durov as part of the make ton great again initiative. no action or swap is required from users, and any site asking for token migration is a scam.

telegram founder pavel durov announced that telegram has officially launched a fully native app for apple watch. the new version allows users to read messages, send gifs, view media, and access telegram functions directly from their wrist without relying heavily on the companion iphone app. users can log in by scanning a qr code from their watch screen

ton ecosystem is rolling out its highly anticipated ton pay 2.0 upgrade this quarter following the previous network configuration changes on june 4. this layer 2 payment upgrade is aimed at facilitating instant, micro-transactions directly inside telegram mini-apps and bot systems. it is expected to drastically lower transaction fees and boost utility for telegram stars and decentralized application tokens

multiple layer 1 and layer 2 networks are rolling out major upgrades in the first half of june 2026. iotex launched its v2.4.0 mainnet upgrade on june 7, followed by boson protocol going live on mainnet on june 8. additionally, starknet is introducing its strk20 privacy standard on mainnet this week, signaling a massive push towards automated scalability and enhanced user security across the broader web3 space

2016 was just text, stickers, and simple bots. 2026 is fully integrated with ton blockchain, offering native crypto wallets, nft collectibles, and the telegram stars economy

2016 privacy meant secret chats. 2026 privacy faces intense global scrutiny, leading to a new era of high-volume moderation, massive channel takedowns, and AI-driven enforcement while maintaining its core appeal for privacy-conscious users

2016 was a messenger. 2026 is a social platform with stories, professional business tools, and mini-app games that rival app store experiences

the core philosophy remains cloud-based, cross-platform, and obsessed with speed. the interface, despite thousands of new features, still feels like the telegram we knew a decade ago. we have moved from simple chat to a global digital infrastructure

the secret origin: telegram was built in 2013 by pavel and nikolai durov after they left vk, russia's largest social network, because they refused to comply with government censorship. it started as an act of digital independence

zero marketing budget: unlike its competitors, telegram has never spent a single dollar on advertising. its growth from a small messenger to nearly one billion users has been entirely organic, fueled by people switching for better features and privacy

the trendsetter: almost every major feature you see on other apps today—like animated stickers, message reactions, and advanced bot ecosystems—was pioneered by telegram long before others adopted them

from messenger to super-app: while it started as a way to send text, it has morphed into a digital infrastructure. today, it hosts decentralized finance (defi) platforms, high-performance gaming, and an entire digital economy powered by telegram stars and the ton blockchain

infinite capacity: while apps like whatsapp struggle with small group limits, telegram handles 'super-groups' of up to 200,000 members. it is essentially a global town square that never sleeps

the cloud architecture: telegram does not store your history on your phone; it stores it in the cloud. this is why you can switch from your laptop to your phone to your tablet and find every single message, video, and file instantly waiting for you without needing manual backups

the gold standard for bots: the bot api is the most advanced in the world. in 2026, you aren't just talking to friends; you are using bots to trade crypto, manage professional workflows, and even play high-fidelity games—all without ever leaving the chat interface

true customization: telegram is the only mainstream app that lets you control everything—from the bubble colors and app icons to the way media is handled, making it the most personalized experience in the app store

1. Satoshi Nakamoto — $69,000,000,000.

Satoshi Nakamoto is the richest holder of crypto in the world. The entirety of this is from the Bitcoin he mined from 2009 and 2010 and is stored across 22,000 addresses.

2. Justin Sun — $2,700,000,000.

Justin Sun is a Chinese entrepreneur and cryptocurrency pioneer best known as the founder of TRON. He is also the CEO of BitTorrent and the owner of two crypto exchanges.

3. James Howells — $500,000,000.

An IT worker from Wales, he was an early pioneer of Bitcoin mining in 2010, using his personal laptop to mine approximately 8,000 BTC.

4. Stefan Thomas — $440,000,000.

Stefan Thomas, a German-born programmer and early Bitcoin developer, is another individual whose vast on-chain wealth is locked away. In 2011, he was paid 7,002 BTC for creating an animated video explaining how Bitcoin worked.

5. Rain Lohmus — $425,000,000.

Rain Lohmus represents one of crypto's most famous cautionary tales. The Estonian banker and co-founder of LHV Bank was an early believer in Ethereum, participating in its 2014 ICO. He invested approximately $75,000 and received a staggering 250,000 ETH.

6. Vitalik Buterin — $384,000,000.

Vitalik Buterin is the visionary programmer who co-created Ethereum. As one of the project's co-founders, he received an allocation of ETH at its genesis.

7. Clifton Collins — $316,000,000.

Clifton Collins is an Irish drug dealer who became a significant Bitcoin holder after acquiring 6,000 BTC in 2011-2012 with proceeds from selling cannabis. Bitcoin was valued at around $5 then.

8. Shixing Mao — $166,000,000.

Shixing Mao, also known as DiscusFish, is the co-founder and CEO of Cobo dot com, a prominent crypto wallet and custody solutions provider. Mao is also the founder of China's first Bitcoin mining pool — F2Pool.

9. Patricio Worthalter — $107,000,000.

Patricio Worthalter is an Argentinian entrepreneur and the founder of POAP (Proof of Attendance Protocol). POAP is a widely used protocol in the Ethereum ecosystem that allows event organisers to distribute crypto-badges (NFTs) to attendees, creating a verifiable record of life experiences.

10. James Fickel — $66,000,000.

James Fickel is a prominent cryptocurrency investor and trader. His journey to the crypto rich list started in 2016 when he invested $400,000 in Ethereum when the token was trading at around $0.80.

fresh rollout: meta officially started rolling out username reservations on june 29, 2026.

not in your app yet?: it is launching gradually in phases. if you do not see it yet, do not worry—whatsapp will notify you in the app as soon as it hits your account.

you still need a number: you still need a phone number to create and setup a whatsapp account.

hidden phone numbers: once you set a username, you can chat with new people and strangers without revealing your actual phone number.

added privacy pin: you can set an optional 4-digit pin so strangers cannot spam your username without knowing the code.