Telegram to Introduce NFT Conversion for Gifts on TON Blockchain

Pavel Durov has announced the conversion of a limited number of gifts into NFTs on the TON blockchain later this year. Users will be able to trade them outside of Telegram.

On October 5, Telegram introduced a new feature for sending gifts using stars (Telegram Stars)—the messenger’s internal currency. These gifts appear as animated images, with the option to add a message, such as a holiday greeting or a note for a significant event.

The received gift can be added to a profile, where it will be visible to other users, or exchanged for stars. These stars enable various actions within Telegram: congratulating others, donating to channel owners, or paying for services in mini-apps.

When sending a gift, there is an option to hide your name. In this case, the recipient will know who congratulated them, but other users will not.

Developers can withdraw their stars through the Fragment platform using TON.

Back in April, during the Token2049 conference, Durov announced the possibility of purchasing digital goods with cryptocurrency on Telegram.