Telegram Collectibles Explosion: The Secret Weapon of Web3 Gaming’s Future

Move over, Axie Infinity—Telegram's NFT boom just rewrote the playbook for Web3 gaming.

Why it matters: When messaging apps become black markets for digital assets, you know the industry's gone full crypto-native. Telegram's 800M users are now hunting pixelated trophies instead of texting stickers.

The dark horse advantage: No app store fees, no KYC headaches—just pure, unfiltered degenerate speculation wrapped in mini-games. TradFi bankers are still trying to explain how a meme sticker collection outearned their hedge fund last quarter.

Bottom line: If you're not watching Telegram's collectibles gold rush, you're already playing last year's game. Literally.

How Telegram Turned Digital Gifts Into Real NFT Volume 

Telegram’s transformation accelerated earlier this year with the launch of collectible gifts. These limited-edition digital items can be sent, upgraded, and now traded within a native marketplace. Introduced in January, many of the first collections sold out in minutes. 

In May, Telegram expanded the feature by launching a resale marketplace powered by Stars, its in-app currency. Users can now buy, sell, or gift rare collectibles directly within chats. 

Creators also gain access to new features through community boosts and audience engagement. Upgraded gifts can be minted and traded as NFTs, allowing users to hold them as assets and participate in secondary markets without leaving the app.

The traction is already visible. As of June 9, 2025, Telegram Collectibles recorded $9.7 million in weekly NFT trading volume, according to a Dune dashboard tracking TON-based assets. 

By comparison, ethereum NFTs saw $3.6 million in volume over the same period. The pace of adoption mirrors the early days of the 2021 NFT boom, but with one key distinction. 

There are no wallets to install, no dApps to navigate, and no bridges to cross.

At GOAT Gaming, we’ve seen firsthand that Telegram Collectibles are far more than aesthetic add-ons. They’re becoming a foundation for community-driven marketing, referral loops, wallet onboarding, and player reactivation. 

These collectibles create both emotional and economic hooks. When a gift carries real value, users are more likely to engage.

This shift points to something bigger: a MOVE away from performance marketing toward gameplay that drives acquisition and retention on its own. 

Collectibles do the heavy lifting, building connections, signaling status, and encouraging spending behavior in ways ads rarely achieve. 

Together, these elements create a seamless environment for digital commerce, social interaction, and ownership. They also make Telegram an increasingly viable platform for Web3 gaming to scale.

Game studios like GOAT Gaming are already experimenting with gifting mechanics that drive referral loops, reactivations, and real-time campaigns. 

In one recent example, we launched a Telegram-native raffle that offered gift rewards tied to gameplay actions. 

Within two weeks, the campaign had onboarded hundreds of thousands of players, driven tens of thousands of completed wallet connections, and created what WOULD have cost hundreds of thousands in user acquisition spend through traditional channels.

This shift toward community-gated gameplay is already unfolding. We’re building new experiences that treat collectibles not as cosmetic profile flexes but as Core infrastructure.

What Telegram Collectibles Are Really Unlocking for Game Developers

In our upcoming game, Underground Pepe, we’re giving real utility, from unlocking progression rewards to enabling gameplay features and signaling in-game status. 

Players join Pepe as he builds a chaotic underground empire, scheming, and stacking NFTs and Telegram Collectibles. 

They earn by operating their rug factory, reinvesting into more collectibles, and unlocking new gameplay loops that mirror Telegram’s trading, gifting, and meme-driven energy.

Ultimately, we believe Telegram has already laid the groundwork for what Web3 infrastructure should look like. 

For developers paying attention, Telegram already offers the infrastructure, reach, and engagement that most platforms are still trying to build. Ignore it, and you’ll miss Web3 gaming’s biggest player acquisition funnel in years.