Telegram’s @crypto Handle Gets $25M Offer as Price Surges 70-Fold in 2 Years

An early Telegram and toncoin (TON) user received a $25 million offer for the instant-messaging app's @crypto username on Wednesday, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said in a post on the messaging system.

The username was acquired for just $350,000 in 2023 and the holder of the username recently said: “If these can’t be taken away from me, I want them all,” according to Durov's post.

All Telegram usernames are tokenized on the TON blockchain, meaning that each username is unique and can't be replicated.

In 2024 the most expensive username was @news, which sold for $5.8 million, while @auto sold for $5.2 million, according to Statista.

"When people have direct ownership of their digital assets, magic happens — like this tokenized Telegram handle soaring 70x in value," Durov continued in his post. "Telegram users are sovereign owners: no middlemen, no confiscation, all secured by TON smart contracts."

Toncoin has enjoyed a solid month in terms of price action, rising by 16% to $3.38, in part due to an early month surge on the back of a deal to offer TON holders a golden visa in the UAE.