Telegram gifts have solidified as a primary growth driver for the TON ecosystem in 2025 and are entering a new development phase, according to Vanya, co-founder of GetGems, in an interview with the Telegram channel Chesnok. He described the current landscape as “the first global gift war.”
Vanya noted that the Telegram gift market is experiencing intense price competition, with marketplaces reducing fees to attract users. GetGems has maintained a zero-fee policy for six months but does not see this as a threat to its business.
“Portals may reintroduce fees soon, and we might follow. Other platforms are either exploring new revenue streams or earning via the ‘gift casino,’” he said. According to the team, this price war is likely temporary and the market will stabilize once users settle on key platforms.
Telegram Gifts as “Perfect NFTs”
Vanya highlighted that Telegram has pioneered a new type of collectible NFT, comparing them to Reddit Snoo cards, where artists earn directly from secondary sales.
“Gifts are the perfect collectible NFTs. They combine the aesthetic of real-world collections with the convenience of digital platforms,” he stated.
He believes that with artist revenue sharing and full on-chain governance, Telegram gifts could evolve into one of the most successful NFT projects in history.
Why Telegram Will Keep Minting Gifts
Currently, about 2 million users hold NFT gifts. Vanya expects this number to increase 50-fold to 100 million.
To achieve this, Telegram would need to expand total gift issuance to 200–500 million units, introduce regional collections, and collaborate with global partners such as musicians and sports clubs.
“It’s normal if mass-market gift prices drop to 0.1 TON or below. Cheap gifts will become cheaper, rare ones more expensive,” he added.
On-Chain vs. Off-Chain
Vanya also mentioned that off-chain marketplaces, where transactions occur outside the blockchain, prevent TON from ranking among the world’s top NFT platforms.
“When platforms like OpenSea or Magic Eden look at TON, they see huge volumes, but 95% of it is off-chain. That’s why integrations often get canceled,” he explained.
GetGems, in contrast, focuses on on-chain trading and provides tools to facilitate NFT transactions without holding users’ funds, ensuring all activity is recorded on the blockchain.
The Controversial Role of TON in Telegram Gifts
Alexey Solovyov, former head of TON CIS Hub and current Business Development Director at WEEX CIS, argues that framing the discussion as the “TON market” is misleading.
“There is no TON market. There’s a Telegram market. Over 90% of gifts are traded off-chain — not on the TON blockchain. Even among active Telegram users, awareness of TON only grew after the token became available on gift marketplaces,” he said.
He views the TON ecosystem as a small division within Telegram, not an independent market. Solovyov also emphasized that off-chain platforms demonstrate more mature development, stronger communities, and strategic marketing compared to GetGems.
“They have marketing, community engagement, and a clear strategy. GetGems mainly complains about support issues,” he concluded.
This article is not investment advice. All trading and investment decisions carry risk, and readers should conduct their own research before acting.
