Web3Broker on Valli: Telegram Gifts: Distribution and User Focus.

As a person who still hold my Azuki (@Azuki) NFT at "howard-peng.eth", and stepped into TON Blockchain (@TON_blockchain) for 2.5+ yrs, and also 3yrs at @Binance — I think I can quickly share thoughts about this.

Want to share 2 angles:

"Content is king, but distribution is queen" — Put the User First.
The best user experience creates the most value for users.

First of all — "Distribution Matters." Good distribution always translates to a better (or the best) user experience.

I still remember when I shared my NFTs at 2021 with my "Web2" friends, and they asked,"Why not just copy someone else's NFT image instead of buying it?"

At that moment, I was so frustrated I couldn’t even speak—I just said, "No, it’s different! It’s in my crypto wallet, see?"

But they just didn’t care.

We all remember how painfully the 2021 NFT hype ended.

I will keep my Azuki for my son, maybe?

1️⃣ The first argument from my side is want to explain why Telegram Gifts are different for me this time is:

"It’s way easier and simpler to prove ownership."

That’s my initial response to your argument. I don’t believe past NFT experiences apply here.

(By the way, check out my Gifts here <3)

Can check it at: https://t.me/nft/PlushPepe-279.

Remember my first sentence in the beginning? Have you checked whether I actually own Azuki yet?

I guess you haven't.

Because you need my Wallet Address, and even if I had the ENS domain name(which I already had), you still can't properly access it on any website unless there is hyperlink support like Etherscan.io along with my ENS name. And I have to check whether I renewed it or not?

It's just too frustrating. I hate it.

I hate it because of those annoying check-in sessions at every Web3 event, and how fragmented it is to show my social attributes about me and at NFTs.

I also hate my Azuki not only because its dollar value dropped, but also because even after buying it, I still can't show it easily! (@Zagabond)

Given these very real pain points we've experienced, I'd argue we should call them 'Telegram Gifts' - not just 'NFTs.'

Why? Because this brings me to my second point: Shift your perspective to Telegram’s angle—how can we deliver the best user experience?"

So, the the 2️⃣ second:

The best user experience creates the most value for users.

And the best UX isn’t an on-chain wallet, MetaMask, Phantom, Rabbit, or whatever. Sorry, but that’s the truth—just look at how Binance and OKX have been scrambling to figure this out over the past few years.

This is why you need to shift your perspective.

From Telegram’s perspective (or rather, its sole product manager—Pavel Durov (@durov), UX is undeniably the top priority.

This forces you to rethink and adapt to a series of constraints: from TON Blockchain as the exclusive chain for Mini-Apps (@tappscenter), to Telegram Stars, which emerged due to Apple(@AppStore) policies (the backstory here is long, so I won’t dive deeper).
This is why I’ve been pushing the concept of "StarFi" for the past six months (or more):

(God, explaining historical context is exhausting.)

To put it simply:

Keeping Telegram Messenger from being delisted from the App Store is the highest priority.

Given that, designing "digital asset-capitalized content" is undeniably challenging.

This is why the current Gifts model is critical and easy:

Start with gifting (sending gifts to Telegram friends).
Optionally convert them into "unique assets, like NFTs."

From both a business and UX standpoint, this is nearly the optimal solution.

I know you might say:

"But there’s no on-chain metadata."
"But it’s not initially minted on TON Blockchain."
"But it’s not fully decentralized."

But I’d argue: Fundamentally, deferring the minting process to the final step is a rational and elegant design—because it doesn’t scare off most new users. (And by the way, I’m sure you know Azuki/Bored Ape-style NFTs also have centralized metadata, right?)

Another comparable case is CS:GO Skins: Imagine if users had to link bank accounts and set up withdrawal passwords just to buy skins—that’d be ridiculous and a terrible experience.

As the former Dev Rel Asia Lead at the TON Foundation, I deeply understand what TON Blockchain is capable of(either Wallet userbase or Tech side). But after months of reflection, I’ve come to realize that building an ecosystem isn’t just about technical feasibility—it’s about delivering real value to users.

A pure EVM solution is not the only future, and neither is simply a faster TPS EVM chain. Why? Because user motivation hasn’t been properly unlocked—there simply aren’t enough "on-chain users" actively making transactions(or just some Bots maybe?)

That brings me to my second point, which deserves deeper discussion—this is more about business strategy than pure tech. Having been deeply involved in this ecosystem for over two years, I find your surface-level criticism of a billion-user platform (@Telegram Gifts) both unwise and unfair. While I have many insights on the Gifts trend, but I will need more time to write it down.

But before that, maybe you can test out @PortalsMarket —currently the best marketplace for Telegram Gifts.

Use my link: https://t.me/portals/market?startapp=howard (Oh, and they just launched in alpha 3 days ago!)

Ultimately, I believe I should dedicate more time to writing structured articles that elaborate on the various directions I envision - whether about Telegram Gifts themselves (why and how they emerged in their current form), or about the future opportunities available to us. However, given time and space constraints, I'll need to carefully refine these thoughts.

Find me on Telegram if you’d like to chat further.

Notes

Given that the TON/Telegram community hasn't had much exposure on CT(as always), here are some interesting community tools related to Telegram Gifts:

@ZenithTON's article: https://x.com/ZenithTON/status/1902405287228874896
Plush Pepe: https://plushpepe.com / @PlushPepeCom
@tonevents
@getgemsdotio
@_marketapp

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Original Text: https://x.com/0xhoward_peng/status/1933168257818939709