Telegram’s Walt launches standalone app with tokenized stocks and AI trading

Walt, formerly known as Wallet in Telegram, has launched a standalone application, expanding its crypto trading and investment services beyond the messaging platform for the first time.

The app provides access to hundreds of cryptocurrencies, more than 100 tokenized US stocks and ETFs, yield products and perpetual futures covering crypto, metals and energy, according to a November 10 announcement shared with Crypto Briefing.

Walt also offers AI trading tools through ChatGPT, Claude and Mira, an AI agent developed by its parent company, The Open Platform (TOP).

“Walt started as a simple bot for buying crypto and became a full investment platform used by tens of millions of people,” said Andrew Rogozov, founder and CEO of Walt and TOP. “We built the best crypto product inside Telegram — now we’re opening it to everyone.”

The standalone app will become the first platform to receive new features, including advanced trading tools and additional asset classes. Existing users can access Walt through both Telegram and the standalone app using the same account, while new customers can register through Telegram, Google or Apple.

Egor Danilov, chief product officer at Walt and TOP, told Crypto Briefing that the expansion reflects changing user behavior, with more customers using the platform to trade and invest rather than simply hold crypto.

Danilov said tokenized stocks have become particularly popular among newcomers, some of whom now begin investing through traditional financial assets rather than cryptocurrencies.

He highlighted SK Hynix as an example of the opportunities available through xStocks, which Walt introduced around the company’s Nasdaq debut.

Walt sources its tokenized stocks and ETFs through xStocks, the tokenization platform developed by Backed and Kraken. According to Danilov, the tokens are backed one to one by underlying shares held with regulated custodians, giving users economic exposure to equities rather than direct ownership of the underlying shares.

The company also plans to expand its AI trading functionality. Danilov said connected AI agents operate through dedicated balances funded by users and cannot withdraw assets, keeping the remainder of their accounts separate.

The standalone app will be available in the same markets as Walt’s Telegram service, although access to individual products, including perpetual futures and tokenized stocks, will continue to vary by jurisdiction.

Danilov said Walt reviews each product on a market basis, works with regulated partners and plans to obtain additional licenses as regulatory frameworks evolve.

Walt is also preparing to introduce crypto payment cards, allowing customers to spend their digital assets on everyday purchases as the company expands into broader financial services.

Danilov said the company wants to bring crypto trading, traditional investments and everyday payments into a single application, reducing the need for users to manage their finances across multiple platforms.

“People simply want access to the markets and assets they’re interested in, in one place,” Danilov said. “That’s the direction we’re building towards.”