In an era when most NFT ventures resemble digital tumbleweeds rolling through abandoned marketplaces, Snoop Dogg managed to orchestrate what can only be described as a minor miracle of timing and celebrity magnetism. On July 9, 2025, the rap icon’s collection of nearly 996,000 NFTs sold out in under thirty minutes on Telegram’s TON blockchain, generating approximately $12 million in revenue—a feat that would have been impressive even during the market’s halcyon days of 2021.
A $12 million sellout in thirty minutes proved that celebrity magnetism can still resurrect even the most moribund digital markets.
The collection, aptly branded as “Telegram Gifts,” featured animated tokens that read like a curated inventory of Snoop’s personal brand: vintage cars, swag bags, cartoon dogs, and cannabis-related visuals. These weren’t merely static images destined for digital wallets; they functioned as animated profile decals within Telegram’s ecosystem and could be converted into the platform’s in-app currency, Stars.
The strategic positioning within a messaging platform with over 900 million users arguably mattered more than the artwork itself.
This success story unfolds against a backdrop of spectacular market deterioration. NFT sales plummeted 61% from $4.1 billion to $1.5 billion in Q1 2025, with monthly trading volumes declining 41% and transaction counts falling 55%. June witnessed a further 67% drop in overall sales volume—statistics that would make even the most optimistic blockchain evangelist wince. Despite these declining sales figures, the overall user base continues to expand, suggesting that interest in NFTs persists even as trading activity diminishes.
Telegram’s TON blockchain, which began supporting digital collectibles earlier in 2025, provided the technical infrastructure for what Pavel Durov publicly confirmed as legitimate sales figures. The platform’s integration of collectible gifts into its messaging system enabled seamless peer-to-peer transfers and profile display functionality—features that previous collections like “Plush Pepe” couldn’t leverage to similar effect. Durov announced that minting and secondary trading would launch in 21 days following the initial sale.
Snoop Dogg’s NFT involvement dates back to 2021, encompassing projects in The Sandbox metaverse and his Passport Series. However, this Telegram venture demonstrated sophisticated promotional synergy: the NFT launch coincided with his new track “Gifts” and an accompanying music video, creating multiple revenue streams from a single cultural moment. The success exemplifies how blockchain technology can eliminate traditional intermediaries, enabling direct peer-to-peer protocols for digital asset transactions.
The industry’s reaction bordered on euphoric, with observers branding the collaboration “legendary” across social media platforms. Whether this represents a sustainable revival path for NFTs or merely celebrity-driven anomaly remains the $12 million question.
