Analytics
Telegram NFT Stickers Gain Traction but Gifts Still Dominate
In early summer 2025, Telegram’s NFT sticker packs surged in sales, driven by projects like Pudgy Penguins and DOGS OG. Yet, earlier-launched Gifts still command nearly 8× the market cap, maintaining their lead in Telegram’s collectibles economy.
TL;DR
- Telegram NFT stickers record millions in sales led by branded collections
- Gifts remain dominant, with ~8× higher market cap
- Sticker momentum grows as Telegram expands its Web3 ecosystem
Table of Contents
Telegram’s Collectibles: Stickers vs Gifts in the Web3 Ecosystem
Telegram’s foray into NFTs is showing early success as collectible sticker packs become a hot commodity on the TON blockchain. In recent weeks, three sticker collections – Pudgy Penguins, DOGS OG, and Bored Stickers (a spin-off inspired by the Bored Apes) – led the pack with primary sales of 1.9 million, 1.77 million, and 1.48 million respectively.
These sales reflect the initial mint revenues and indicate strong demand for branded sticker NFTs within the Telegram community. The involvement of well-known NFT brands like Pudgy Penguins and BAYC (via Bored Stickers) has attracted crypto-native users, while meme-centric projects like DOGS are tapping into Telegram’s large user base.
Despite the sticker mania, Telegram’s earlier “Gifts” collectibles still hold a larger market share. The total market capitalization of tradable Telegram stickers is about 26 million, whereas Telegram Gifts – digital items used to decorate profiles – command nearly 8× higher market cap (~202 million).
This isn’t surprising: Gifts launched earlier (late 2024) and gained viral popularity thanks to influencers and the appeal of personalizing profiles. Some rare gift items have become status symbols and are actively traded or upgraded for profit.
In contrast, the sticker NFT market is newer, finding its footing via Telegram’s integration with TON for trading. That said, momentum is on the stickers’ side.
Telegram’s Sticker Shop (an in-app TON marketplace launched by third-party developers) features collaborations with notable projects – from Pudgy Penguins to Bored Ape Yacht Club – signaling that established crypto communities are embracing Telegram as a distribution platform. As a result, sticker NFTs are quickly selling out and commanding high prices on secondary markets.
The 26M sticker market cap may grow if Telegram continues to support these features and if more popular brands issue sticker packs. However, Gifts maintain an edge given their head start and broader user familiarity.
For now, Telegram has two parallel collectible economies: Stickers for NFT enthusiasts and Gifts for casual users, both contributing to Telegram’s emerging Web3 ecosystem.
In comparison, Telegram Gifts have a market cap nearly 8× higher — 202M – this context highlights that while sticker NFTs are trending, Telegram Gifts remain the larger niche. The sticker craze will need to sustain itself with new drops and active trading to close that gap.
Encouragingly, Telegram recently opened an official in-app marketplace for Gifts (as of May 2025) to streamline trading, a move that could eventually be replicated for stickers.
Overall, Telegram’s embrace of collectibles – whether profile gifts or NFT stickers – is fostering a new mini-economy within the app, marrying social media with crypto collectibles.
👉 Be sure to check out our article: "What are Telegram Gifts?"