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

An early Telegram and toncoin

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.