Legendary rap artist Snoop Dogg has generated $12 million in profit within just 30 minutes after launching his latest NFT collection via Collectible Telegram Gifts on July 9, 2025. Russian tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, notified the public of the development via X (formerly Twitter)
🎤 @SnoopDogg’s digital collectibles drop on Telegram sold out in just 30 minutes today, generating $12M in sales. Nearly 1M unique NFTs inspired by Snoop’s iconic style. Blockchain minting and the secondary market go live in 21 days. It’s going to be wild. pic.twitter.com/DeinT5C2f4
— Pavel Durov (@durov) July 9, 2025
Developed by the Telegram team and native to the TON ecosystem, Collectible Telegram Gifts are unique digital artworks that can be gifted to friends or contacts. These gifts have special attributes and can be upgraded to one-of-a-kind digital collectibles. They can be transferred, sold, or auctioned on NFT marketplaces.
Snoop Dogg Bags $12M From NFT SalesÂ
The American Rapper released a new track called “Gifts”, and in its accompanying music video, he vividly showcased a collection of animated Collectible Telegram Gifts. The video showcased swag bags, vintage cars, digital dogs, and cannabis icons.
Notably, the video was released simultaneously with the launch of the NFT collection, prompting fans to rush to Telegram to claim their digital collectibles as soon as the video was released. The collection featured almost one million Collectible Telegram Gifts, including branded collectibles associated with his new track.
According to Durov, Telegram users who participated in the sale will now wait to mint the corresponding gifts via The Open Network (TON) blockchain. With the words “it’s going to be wild,” the Telegram CEO hinted that the move will reignite NFT frenzy. He further used the opportunity to promote the platform’s gift feature and upcoming NFT secondary market.Â
Artists Leverage Blockchain Tech
Interestingly, the use of blockchain infrastructure to make gains did not start with Dogg. Afrobeats superstar Davido launched the Solana-based DAVIDO memecoin in May 2024, via Pump.fun. On-chain data reveals that he sold 20% of the total supply just 11 hours after the launch, netting $474,000.
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea also entered the Solana market on the same day as Davido, with her MOTHER meme token. The token launched with a market cap of under $50,000 but eventually surpassed $105 million in market value.
Meanwhile, institutional interest in Telegram’s affiliated blockchain, TON, is surging. For example, Pantera Capital invested $20 million in the network, driven by its seamless integration with Telegram. The investment is proceeds from at least 29 institutional investors who have committed a minimum of $250,000 each.
