by Reza Ali
Telegram launched in 2025 with a disruptive upgrade: creating collectible presents that users could send among themselves and trade in some form, using non-fungible tokens on third-party marketplace systems.
This latest foray of the messaging platform into the digital collectibles ecosystem was an effort to improve user utility further and tap into the lucrative blockchain space of market participants in NFTs.
In a blog post dated January 1, Telegram said users can now upgrade gifts received or sent on the platform into “collectibles.” These collectibles come in unique designs, with traits such as background colors and icons that can be changed, with many rarities. The first set has more than 1,400 different collectible variants, each from themes like “Homemade Cake” and “Jelly Bunny,” among thousands more to come.
“When you upgrade a gift it unlocks a new appearance from dozens of custom variations made by Telegram artists. Collectibles also receive a random set of secondary traits, including a background color, icon and number.”
Telegram
For this to happen, Telegram users will need to have a virtual commodity called Telegram Stars to buy digital goods and pay the blockchain fee within the platform. These Stars will introduce blockchain functionality into Telegram’s ecosystem without sacrificing user convenience.
Telegram Collectibles Functional NFTs With Marketplace Potential
Telegram emphasized that the collectibles are not for beauty alone but functional digital assets that one can transfer to others or auction through NFT marketplaces-except for this detail, the platform did not spell out which of those marketplaces; it all means one major step toward a link between mainstream messaging platforms and blockchain.
The new update of Telegram increases user engagement and functionality: Reactions added to service messages denote gifts, show new members joining a group, or show people joining video chat. Advanced filters were given for message searches to make sorting results by private chats, groups, and channels easier.
Telegram’s decision to trade the NFTs indicates an overall emerging trend: tech companies will set blockchain technologies as a gatekeeper for newer experiences afforded by this peculiar quality of digital ownership.
The press statement highlighted the idea behind such collectible gifts apart from improved functions and offerings made available for the user, placing Telegram on a journey of the fusion of messaging with advanced hi-tech inventions.
Further growth in the NFT markets might mean a deeper integration of collectibles with third-party trading via Telegram, opening up new digital collectibles and blockchain-based interaction.
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