In a bold move that merges the world of blockchain collectibles with everyday messaging, the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) has announced the launch of animated NFT stickers on Telegram, available starting June 20, 2025, at 18:00 UTC. These exclusive digital stickers, now live in Telegram’s Sticker Store, mark a significant step forward in making non-fungible tokens (NFTs) more accessible to the masses.
NFT Stickers That Do More Than Animate
These aren’t your standard chat stickers. Each BAYC-themed animation is minted on the TON blockchain, transforming simple visuals into fully tradable digital assets. Users can purchase, own, and trade them like any other NFT—bringing collectibility into the realm of instant messaging.
The purchasing process is streamlined through Telegram Stars, a native payment system that can be easily converted to Toncoin, enabling users to access blockchain features without needing a traditional crypto wallet. This simplification opens the doors for Telegram’s 900 million monthly active users to engage with digital assets in a familiar, frictionless way.
BAYC Goes Beyond Art – Building a Chat-Driven Community
While the launch brings fun, animated apes into everyday chats, BAYC’s vision goes beyond entertainment. The integration introduces utility to NFTs, encouraging a community-centric trading experience and potentially laying the groundwork for a new secondary market within Telegram’s expanding Web3 ecosystem.
“This isn’t just about stickers,” BAYC noted in a release. “It’s about redefining how digital assets are used, shared, and valued in real-time online interactions.”
Part of Telegram’s Growing Blockchain Push
The BAYC sticker launch follows the success of other blockchain-based initiatives on Telegram, including Notcoin and DOGS, both of which debuted following the Telegram Sticker Store’s launch in December 2024. With BAYC joining the platform, the store continues to solidify its role as a gateway to blockchain experiences.
As blockchain use cases evolve, BAYC’s animated NFTs represent a fresh take: NFTs that live where people talk. Rather than being static assets displayed in galleries or marketplaces, these stickers become part of daily communication—a fusion of culture, utility, and technology.
The Future of NFTs: Functional, Social, and Fun
This release reflects a broader shift in the NFT landscape—from static, high-priced artworks to interactive and functional assets. By embedding NFTs into a platform used by nearly a billion people, BAYC is pioneering a model where digital ownership meets social utility.
With chat becoming the new frontier for digital interaction, BAYC’s Telegram debut could be the first of many NFT integrations across platforms. As users begin to collect, share, and trade digital apes in their chats, BAYC’s latest drop might redefine not only what NFTs are—but how they’re used in the digital age.
