The Telegram collectibles market continues to heat up recently. Telegram founder Pavel Durov purchased a Plush Pepe worth 7,500 GRAM and then transferred the NFT to Adler Toberg, a designer involved in Telegram's interface and gifting system, sparking interest in the TON community.
This is the third time I've bought TON collectibles in the past six months.
This marks the third time in over six months that Durov has been confirmed to have purchased TON eco-collectibles. According to reports, he first purchased another Plush Pepe in December 2025; a month later, he added a Telegram Gift NFT to his portfolio.
Judging by the number of purchases alone, such buying is not considered high-frequency. However, for the founder of Telegram, these consecutive purchases are interpreted by the market as a sign of his continued focus on the Telegram collectibles ecosystem, rather than a one-off attempt.
Purchase and transfer to Telegram designer
Another key aspect of this transaction is that Durov transferred the NFT to Adler Toberg after the purchase. The latter is believed to have close ties to Telegram's interface design and gifting ecosystem.
This shift has brought a joke from the TON community to the brink of reality. The community had previously quipped that these NFTs might eventually end up in the hands of Telegram employees, becoming a kind of "work reward." Now, a similar scenario has materialized in reality.
TON ecosystem trading activity is on the rise.
The relevant transactions occurred amidst the continued expansion of the TON ecosystem. The report mentions that TON's latest protocol upgrade reportedly increased network speeds by 10 times and reduced transaction confirmation times to less than one second.
Meanwhile, projects like Underground Pepe under GOAT Gaming are extending Plush Pepes from simple digital collectibles to gaming assets, complete with a reward system. Secondary market demand is also heating up. Previously, a Telegram username NFT sold for 500,000 USDT, showing that on-chain assets directly related to the Telegram ecosystem are attracting more attention.
Currently, this transaction is simply an NFT transfer. However, within the ecosystem of Telegram and TON, the significance of such assets is no longer limited to the act of holding them; they have begun to carry a stronger symbolic meaning of community and platform.
