Telegram has applied to ICANN for the .gram top-level domain, which its founder Pavel Durov says could allow Telegram users to receive personalised domain addresses if the application is approved. Durov posts that usernames could become second-level domains in the format “yourname.gram,” such as “durov.gram” for the handle @durov. He also says Telegram would let users create interactive websites hosted by Telegram using a single prompt.
The application is part of ICANN’s 2026 expansion round under its New Generic Top-Level Domain program. That window closed on August 12, with more than 1,600 primary applications reported across the round, and ICANN sets an application fee of $227,000 per string. ICANN is expected to publish applicant details (“Reveal Day”) no later than about nine weeks after the closure, likely in late October 2026. While observers note that a .gram registry would remain Telegram-managed—making username.gram addresses behave more like platform-controlled subdomains than independently transferable properties—approval is not guaranteed. Telegram must still pass ICANN’s evaluation process before the domain could be delegated and opened for registrations.
