KEY POINTS
Messaging app Telegram has announced plans to support non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for its stickers and emojis through the TON network.
Pavel Durov, Founder and CEO of Telegram, revealed the initiative during Token2049 in Dubai, stating, “The next step that we are going to undertake is tokenizing Telegram stickers.”
This move aims to leverage the benefits of blockchain technology, particularly in terms of privacy and freedom, aligning with Telegram’s focus on anonymity. Indeed, Telegram is known for allowing users to register and interact only through their usernames without disclosing additional personal data.
Stickers will be tokenized using the TON network — formerly known as the “Telegram Open Network” — a layer-1 blockchain originally developed by Dr. Nikolai Durov and Telegram, with contributions from independent collaborators.
The integration of NFT stickers and emojis represents Telegram’s ongoing efforts to incorporate blockchain technology into its app.
Previously, in 2022, Durov proposed a marketplace for auctioning highly sought-after usernames using “NFT-like smart contracts,” a feature later facilitated through Fragment. Here, users can trade @t.me addresses like “@storm” or “@royal,” along with four-letter usernames, using Toncoins for payments.
In a separate initiative, in February, Telegram announced plans to share ad revenue with users, with channel owners receiving 50% of ad revenue settled on the TON blockchain.
As the 8th most popular social media platform globally, Telegram boasts a user base of 1.562 billion this year, with 800 million monthly active users. Projections indicate that the user base will expand to 2.284 billion by 2025. With the rise of new technologies and the growth of the Web3 community, the integration of NFTs and blockchain features within the app presents new opportunities for further growth and engagement.
