Pavel Durov of Telegram has floated the idea of selling usernames and specific links on the platform as NFTs through an auction system.
In a recent announcement, Pavel Durov, who founded Telegram, put forth the idea that usernames and specially reserved links on Telegram could be sold through NFTs. This proposal was shared in a post he made on his platform. May 01, 2025 by
Telegram, the encrypted messaging service, boasts around 700 million users. Many of these people have channels that feature unique links. Durov is proposing that these secured addresses could be auctioned off as NFTs. He also hinted at the potential for @usernames to turn into valuable NFTs.
This proposal seems to draw inspiration from the ENS domain system, which allows users to create or buy domain names from a secondary market as NFTs. Durov also mentioned he derived inspiration from The Open Network (TON), a layer-1 blockchain developed by Telegram’s team.
by Alisa Davidson TON provides an auction platform for domain names, remaining open for users to place bids at any time. Recently, TON Community reported that 2,184 domain names were sold for a total of 2,392,002 Toncoin, valuing approximately $3,155,769 at the time of writing.
Durov noted, \"If TON can achieve such impressive results, just imagine what Telegram could accomplish with its vast user base of 700 million by auctioning off reserved usernames and links for groups and channels. Beyond the millions of appealing t.me URLs like @storm and @royal, they could also offer four-letter usernames for sale (@bank, @club, @game, @gift, etc.).\"
May 01, 2025
In a related note, the domain name wallet.ton fetched a staggering 215,250 Toncoin (about $260,000), making it the priciest DNS in the network currently.
Lately, domain NFTs have been incredibly sought after. In May, short domain names, particularly 3- 4- and 5-digit ones, surged in popularity, and just last month, the ENS domain 000.eth changed hands for approximately $320,000. Know More Telegram isn’t alone in venturing into the NFT space. Unstoppable Domains, for example, revealed its plans back in June to capitalize on this growing trend. Know More Read More
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May 1, 2025
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Valeria is a journalist working for Metaverse Post, specializing in areas like fundraising, artificial intelligence, the metaverse, digital fashion, NFTs, and all things related to web3. She holds a Master's degree in Public Communications and is currently pursuing a second major in International Business Management. In her free time, Valeria enjoys photography and fashion styling. At just 13 years old, she started her first blog focused on fashion, which ignited her passion for journalism and style. Based in northern Italy, she often works remotely from various cities across Europe. Alisa Davidson
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