NFT-Gifts on the Blockchain Can Also Become Invalid

Even upgraded gifts sent to the TON blockchain as NFTs can be downgraded to regular gifts or become completely invalid in Telegram. This happens if the stars used to purchase or upgrade the gift are refunded.

How does gift status get downgraded?

For example, a user buys stars via the App Store or Google Play, then purchases and/or upgrades a gift. After 21 days, they send the gift to the TON blockchain as an NFT and later request a refund for the stars. If the refund is approved, Telegram marks the gift as invalid: it can no longer be set on the profile, used as a status, or transferred to another user. However, the NFT itself remains in the user’s wallet on the blockchain.

Sometimes, users purchase stars through unreliable services or P2P deals. In these cases, the seller may initiate a refund, which also results in the gift being burned. We’ve previously covered such cases on the @tginfo channel.

Why does this matter?

Even if the gift becomes invalid in Telegram, it still exists as an NFT and can be listed for sale on marketplaces like Fragment.com, Getgems.io, and others. However, these platforms don’t display warnings about the gift’s status in Telegram, which may mislead buyers who expect to use the gift in their profile.

We recommend checking the status of NFT gifts before purchasing. You can do this using the link format: t.me/nft/GiftName-XXX, replacing “GiftName-XXX” with the correct name (no spaces) and number. For example, Plush Pepe #1098 would be: t.me/nft/PlushPepe-1098.

The Dmitry Korobeynikov channel has already shared examples of gifts listed for sale but no longer usable in Telegram, and also reported that some of these gifts have since been fully restored and are now functional again in Telegram.