Telegram Will Let Users Convert Digital Gifts Into Tradable TON NFTs

Telegram announced this week that it will allow users to convert gifts into NFTs on The Open Network using Telegram Stars, the in-app currency tied to Ton coin (TON)the native token of the blockchain network.

GiftsUnveiled by Telegram in October, it is a collection of animated artwork and custom messages that can be given and then displayed on a user’s profile in Telegram.

The new feature is part of Telegram’s first update of 2025 and will allow users of the messaging app to upgrade more than two dozen existing gifts — like Jelly Bunny and Santa Hat — into collectibles, also known as NFTs, for a “small amount of Telegram stars,” which covers the cost of blockchain fees.

While the Telegram blog indicates that the feature is now live, Declutter haven’t had access to the feature in the app at the time of writing.

When the item is upgraded, it will take on a new custom look built by Telegram artists, complete with secondary features “including a background color, icon and number.”

Users can then transfer their Telegram NFTs to other users, or they can auction them on secondary TON marketplaces like Getgems.

The update is the latest in a series of steps that brings Telegram further into the thick of Web3. Back in 2023, a self-custody wallet called TON Space launched on Telegram, allowing users to onboard and quickly access The Open Network. In early 2024, Telegram announced that this would happen share advertising revenue on its platform with channel owners, payable in TON.

A few months later, Telegram launched Starsan in-app currency that can be purchased with fiat money that allows developers to sell digital goods and services through Telegram mini-apps and games. Those stars are then convertible for TON.

The addition coincided with the rise of Telegram’s tap-to-earn gaming ecosystem and other simple mini-apps, which attracted millions of players and ultimately led to massive crypto-token airdrops – like that of Non-coin And Hamster fight.

According to a pseudonymous TON core developer, Dr. Awesome Doge, simple games and apps are just the beginning. Speak with Declutter in July, he expressed his confidence that Telegram mini-apps will become increasingly complex as independent companies try to reach their massive user base.

As Telegram has made efforts, its blockchain of choice and its native token have also made leaps and bounds, with TON becoming the 15th largest cryptocurrency by market cap, according to CoinGecko. TON hit a new all-time high last June when it traded at $8.25.

The Open Network was originally developed by Telegram under the name Telegram Open Network before regulatory scrutiny forced the company to abandon the project in 2020. Community developers stepped in to take over, leading to the current network.

TON has recovered 30% from its all-time high but is still up 165% on the year and trading at $5.79 at the time of writing.

Edited by Andrew Hayward