American rapper Snoop Dogg sold out a collection of almost a million non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Telegram in 30 minutes on Wednesday, seemingly defying the notion that the NFT industry is “dead.”
Snoop Dogg’s new digital gift 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, Telegram founder Pavel Durov said in an X post on Wednesday.
“Blockchain minting and the secondary market go live in 21 days. It’s going to be wild,” he added.
The tokens in the collection included 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 drops new beat with NFT collection
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 tepid 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.
Snoop Dogg’s collection could spark NFT rally
An X user posting under the handle Zenith, who works as the NFT lead at TON, said in an X post on Wednesday that original Telegram gifts are not new and have been around since at least January, when a collection called “Plush Pepe” dropped.
However, they speculate the positive reaction to Snoop Dogg’s collection “could be the start of a new NFT Narrative,” although they also said “technically it could not mean anything.”
“Telegram Gifts have the most unique utility and that is the ability to wear them on your Telegram Profile,” Zenith said.
“I would not be surprised if other famous brands or Web3 IPs would not want to launch some gifts too! Now, the question is will they? I honestly don’t know, but I love to speculate,” they added.
Snoop Dogg is an old hand in the NFT space
Snoop Dogg has been active in the NFT space since the tokens first gained mainstream popularity in 2021.
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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.
Meanwhile, in February 2022, Snoop Dogg launched the Doggies NFT collection as part of a partnership with The Sandbox metaverse.
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