Telegram adds Toncoin to its messaging app to unlock crypto payments

Telegram has introduced a new feature allowing users to buy its native cryptocurrency Toncoin (GRAM-USD) within its messaging app, according to a Twitter post on April 28. The messaging apps' 550M users can also purchase Bitcoin (BTC-USD) through the "@wallet" bot, the TON Foundation said, as reported by CoinDesk Thursday. 800K users have already used the bot. "We anticipate that this functionality will extend into consumer to business payments, so that people can easily acquire goods and services by sending toncoin via bots in the Telegram app," the foundation said, as reported by CoinDesk. The move comes after fintech firm Stripe (STRIP) rolled out a new feature to let creators on social media platform Twitter (TWTR) get paid in stablecoin USDC (USDC-USD). In June 2020, Telegram agreed to return $1.2B to investors to settle SEC charges.