The Telegram Collectibles Boom Is Web3 Gaming’s Next Big Play

Back in 2008, Facebook changed the gaming industry overnight. Games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars went from zero to millions of players thanks to frictionless distribution, viral mechanics, and built-in social hooks. 

But the window closed quickly, and only a few saw it coming. Today, we’re at a similar inflection point. The platform this time? Telegram.

With nearly 1 billion monthly active users, Telegram is one of the world’s largest messaging platforms, and one of the most underestimated in terms of what it’s becoming. 

While known for its privacy-focused features, Telegram is becoming more powerful. It is crypto-native at the infrastructure level and is integrated directly with the TON blockchain.  

This integration means Telegram comes pre-equipped with a full-featured, yield-bearing wallet. For millions of users, especially outside the United States, Telegram Wallet already functions much like a bank account. It’s used to store assets, make purchases, and earn passive rewards.This embedded financial layer opens new possibilities for developers, especially in web3 gaming. 

Instead of relying on third-party wallets like MetaMask or explaining complex onboarding flows, developers can launch experiences directly into an ecosystem where users are already transacting with crypto.

At GOAT Gaming, we’ve seen this impact firsthand. Players who spend using TON, Telegram’s on-chain wallet, spend four to ten times more than those who transact through Stars, Telegram’s fiat-linked in-app currency. 

These users aren’t just more comfortable with crypto. They’re more committed, more active, and more valuable.

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.

Why We Believe Telegram Collectibles Will Replace Traditional User Acquisition

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.