Telegram launches the new Gift feature and will enable conversion into NFT on TON

Telegram has announced the launch of the new Gift feature, anticipating that during the year they will be able to convert into NFT based on TON. The CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, also said that users will be able to auction and trade the tokenized gifts outside the messaging app, with ownership registered on the blockchain.

Telegram: the launch of Gift and previews on their conversion into NFT based on TON

Telegram has announced the launch of the new feature on the app, called Gift. Users can now send each other gifts, using Telegram Stars, celebrating holidays and congratulating contacts using animated artworks and personalized messages.

Not only that, the CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has also already mentioned that during the year, such Gifts can be converted into NFT based on TON. Here are his words:

“The Christmas holidays (which also include my birthday) are approaching and today we are launching the Gifts! Gifts are a great way to congratulate your loved ones on important events. Gift recipients can choose to display them on their profile or sell them for Stars. Some gifts have limited availability. During the year, we will introduce the ability to convert these limited edition gifts into NFTs based on TON. Users will then be able to auction and trade these tokenized gifts outside of Telegram, with ownership recorded on the blockchain. Today we also launched other interesting features, which I will cover in a separate post. For now, I’ll let you dive into the gift selection process.”

It has not yet been specified when the conversion of Gifts on Telegram to NFT will be available, but it is clear that, in the future, they can be auctioned off outside the app, with ownership registered on the blockchain. 

Telegram and the Gifts that will soon become NFTs based on TON

Telegram users who receive gifts can view them in the Gift tab of their profile and also decide whether to convert them into Stars. 

Here is how it reads in the announcement:

“When you receive a gift, you can display it in the new “Gift” tab of the profile, or discard the gift and get some of its Stars to spend elsewhere, including on other gifts.”

The social network platform launched the in-app currency, Stars, last June. It is a feature that allows mini-apps on the platform to accept payments for digital services. Telegram also emphasized that Stars can be used to support creators. 

In any case, to send a gift, the user must open a user’s profile and tap “⋮ / ⋯ > Send a Gift.” It is possible to add any message or emoji.

The price of Toncoin 

As is now known, the price change of a blockchain project’s crypto reflects the reaction of crypto-investors to its news. 

So, speaking of Telegram and its future NFTs, it is necessary to take a look at the price of Toncoin (TON). 

At the time of writing, TON is worth $5.34, in a pump of +2.5% in the last 24 hours. A sort of recovery considering that in the last seven days, however, TON is in a dump of 8%. 

In the last month, TON reached its peak of $6.11 on September 27th. For October, the goal of the token is to “accumulate energy” to break the resistance and push towards new highs, breaking through $7.