American rapper Snoop Dogg sold out a collection of almost a million non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Telegram in 30 minutes, seemingly denying the notion that the NFT industry is “dead”. Snoop Dogg’s new digital gifts collection of around 996,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) powered by the TON blockchain is inspired by Snoop’s iconic style and generated $12 million in sales. The blockchain minting and the secondary market will go live in 21 days. The tokens in the collection include vintage car, swag bags, a digital dog, marijuana-related objects and a mix of other items and symbols. Telegram Gifts are animated images that can be displayed on a profile or converted into the social platform’s in-app currency called Stars. Snoop Dogg also released a new track titled “Gifts” and a music video showcasing all the available collectibles. Social media and YouTube users called Snoop’s collaboration with Telegram “legendary” and others saw the collection selling out as a bullish sign for NFTs, which have been struggling with low volumes and sales this year.
In April, Cointelegraph reported that NFT volumes plunged 61% in the first quarter of 2025 to $1.5 billion compared to $4.1 billion a year ago. In the last 30 days, the sales volume has plunged 41% to over $403 million, CryptoSlam data shows, along with a more than 55% drop in transactions. The original Telegram gifts are not new and have been around since at least January 2025, when a collection called “Plush Pepe” dropped. The positive reaction to Snoop Dogg’s collection could be the start of a new NFT narrative. Telegram Gifts have the most unique utility and that is the ability to wear them on your Telegram profile. Snoop Dogg has been active in the NFT space since the NFTs first gained mainstream popularity in 2021. In June 2023, he unveiled the Snoop Dogg Passport Series, an NFT collection that promised holders access to content such as behind-the-scenes videos and photos. in February 2022, Snoop Dogg launched the Doggies NFT collection as part of a partnership with the Sandbox metaverse.