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Telegram has always been at the forefront of innovation, combining privacy-focused messaging with cutting-edge technology. Over the past few years, the platform has been steadily embracing cryptocurrency, expanding its ecosystem to provide users with seamless blockchain-based features. In 2024 and 2025, Telegram introduced several new features that further strengthen its position in the cryptocurrency space. These include deeper integration with The Open Network (TON), self-storage wallets, NFT gifts, and blockchain-based third-party verification. Let's take a look at these recent cryptocurrency implementations and their impact on the Telegram ecosystem.
Telegram's journey into blockchain began with the Telegram Open Network (TON), an ambitious project aimed at creating a high-performance blockchain. However, due to pressure from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Telegram officially pulled out of the project in 2020.
Despite this, TON never disappeared. Instead, independent developers revived it under the name The Open Network (TON) with the support of the TON Foundation. By 2023, Telegram had fully migrated to the revived TON blockchain. The messaging platform integrated TON Space, a self-sufficient wallet that allows users to store, manage and make cryptocurrency transactions directly within Telegram. This integration enables peer-to-peer payments in Toncoin (TON) and gives users the ability to interact with blockchain-based applications, buy digital goods and access decentralized financial services (DeFi) within Telegram. With the addition of TON Space, Telegram has evolved from a simple messaging app to a decentralized super app that can facilitate borderless financial transactions.
One of Telegram's most exciting features is the ability to send NFT-based gifts. This new feature allows users to buy Telegram Stars (the app's currency) and exchange them for NFT gifts. Users can buy Telegram Stars via in-app purchases or through Fragment, TON's dedicated marketplace, and use them to send virtual gifts such as animated stickers, unique backgrounds and profile icons. These gifts can then be minted as NFTs and traded within the Telegram ecosystem.
By integrating NFTs in this convenient way, Telegram offers blockchain technology to a wider audience without the need to create external wallets. The NFT gifting feature promotes the adoption of cryptocurrencies, allowing millions of users to effortlessly work with digital assets. It also creates new monetization opportunities for artists and designers who can now sell limited edition digital collectibles. This feature reaffirms Telegram's commitment to unifying social interaction with blockchain-based assets.
To combat misinformation and increase trust, Telegram has introduced third-party account verification using blockchain technology. This expansion goes beyond the traditional verification of celebrities and organizations to include entities such as universities, government agencies, and businesses.
Instead of a blue checkmark, verified accounts receive a custom logo next to their name to ensure their authenticity. Telegram uses blockchain technology to securely store verification data, making it tamper-proof and preventing fraudulent verification. The TON blockchain acts as an immutable ledger, ensuring transparency in the verification process.
This new verification system benefits both users and organizations. It allows businesses, institutions and government agencies to create secure communication channels, and users to better protect themselves from fraud and impersonation attempts. By integrating blockchain-enabled verification, Telegram is setting new standards for authenticity on the Internet.
In addition to new features, Telegram's growing reliance on cryptocurrency has significantly boosted its financial performance. Reports from early 2024 showed that Telegram's funds in thincoins (TON) had grown to $1.3 billion, up significantly from $400 million at the end of 2023. This jump in the value of the cryptocurrency played a crucial role in Telegram's $335 million after-tax profit in the first half of 2024.
Telegram's revenue rose to $525 million thanks to its innovative cryptocurrency-based advertising model. A one-time deal linking Toncoin (TON) to advertising also contributed significantly to the revenue increase. The company's financial success demonstrates how Telegram effectively integrates blockchain-based monetization strategies while maintaining a seamless user experience.
Telegram's recent advancements in cryptocurrencies are more than just a technological upgrade, they are a paradigm shift in the way messaging apps are used. By integrating self-service wallets, NFT gifts, blockchain-based verification, and a TON-based ecosystem, Telegram is pushing the boundaries of digital communication. As more users utilize these features, Telegram will become the first true Web3 super-app - a cryptocurrency-based digital economy built directly into a messaging platform.
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