Telegram, a popular Russia-based encrypted texting startup, will integrate a blockchain system called “Telegram Open Network” (TON) into its messenger app and launch a new cryptocurrency called “Gram,”.


Marrying cryptocurrency transactions with the app’s encrypted communication features could be monumental, as the combination would give users access to a decentralized payment system with little oversight from governments or banks. That means that users could privately send and receive money, even in the form of micropayments, between countries without transfer fees. But the use of ICOs has become controversial as they’ve quickly grown in use.