Telegram is looking to take its usernames beyond the messaging app with a proposal for a new internet domain extension called .gram.
The company is seeking approval from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that oversees the global domain name system. If the proposal gets the green light, Telegram users could potentially turn their existing handles into web addresses.
For example, someone using the Telegram handle @example could potentially have a website at example.gram. That would give users a way to use the same identity both inside Telegram and across the wider internet.
The idea could make Telegram usernames much more useful. Today, a username mainly helps people find and contact an account within the app. With .gram, that same username could potentially become a recognizable online identity that leads people to a website, profile or other digital service.
Telegram expands beyond messaging with .gram domain push
The move also fits into Telegram’s broader push to become more than just a messaging platform. Over the past few years, Telegram has expanded into areas such as payments, mini-apps, digital assets and other services. A dedicated domain extension could add another layer to that ecosystem by giving users and businesses a way to build an online presence around their Telegram identity.
But there is still a long way to go before users can start registering .gram domains.
ICANN has a formal process for approving new top-level domains, and submitting a proposal does not guarantee approval. The organization looks at a range of technical, financial and policy considerations before allowing a new domain extension to become part of the internet’s domain system.
If .gram is approved, Telegram would also have to decide exactly how the system would work. It could potentially link existing Telegram handles with corresponding .gram addresses, although the company would need to establish rules around ownership, registration and eligibility.
Telegram’s .gram plan would use traditional domain system
A .gram domain approved through ICANN would be part of the traditional internet domain system. That is different from blockchain-based domain services, which operate independently of the conventional Domain Name System. Telegram’s proposal would therefore bring its username ecosystem closer to the established infrastructure that powers websites around the world.
For creators, businesses and regular users, the appeal is pretty simple: one username could potentially become their identity across both Telegram and the web. Instead of having one name on Telegram and a completely different website address, users could have a consistent identity that people can easily recognize and remember.
For now, though, .gram is only a proposal. Telegram users will have to wait for ICANN’s decision and further details from the company before knowing whether their handles can actually become domains.
If approved, the move could turn Telegram usernames from simple messaging handles into full-fledged digital identities that extend beyond the app.
