Telegram’s Pavel Durov Announces Sticker Tokenization and TON Blockchain Overhaul

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Key Takeaways

  • Telegram, led by Pavel Durov, is adopting blockchain via The Open Network (TON) to tokenize features and share revenue.
  • Telegram plans to distribute 50% of ad revenue to creators on its platform, enhancing its revenue-sharing model.
  • Telegram expands tokenization to stickers and other features, aiming to bypass app store restrictions and enhance flexibility.

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has announced a strategic shift for the messaging platform towards integrating blockchain technology through The Open Network (TON).

At the Token2049 conference in Dubai, Durov detailed plans to tokenize features such as stickers and implement a blockchain-based revenue-sharing model with users.

In his presentation, Pavel Durov highlighted blockchain’s virtues for ensuring freedom and privacy, aligning it with Telegram’s core values. He emphasized the technology’s potential to transform the messaging service by allowing over 900 million monthly users to develop applications, tools, and businesses directly on Telegram.

Telegram To Share Revenue with Users

Unlike other social media platforms that monetize user data through advertising, Telegram plans to innovate by sharing ad revenue generated on its platform with creators and channel owners.

Durov highlighted that 50% of the income from ads in broadcast channels would be distributed among content creators within TON’s ecosystem. He described it as one of social media’s most substantial revenue-sharing efforts.

Telegram Stickers Tokenization

Durov also pointed out that blockchain would enable Telegram to bypass restrictive in-app purchasing rules set by major app stores, enhancing payment flexibility. Already integrating with 40 payment providers such as Stripe, Telegram has previously ventured into tokenization, creating a market within its platform that has generated significant sales.

Looking ahead, Durov announced the intention to expand tokenization to other aspects of Telegram, starting with its stickers.

This move by Telegram comes after an initial attempt to develop TON, halted in 2020 following a legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

However, the project was revived by a dedicated group of open-source developers and formally reestablished under the TON Foundation in 2021.