Telegram is entering 2025 with a mix of milestones and challenges. The global messaging platform with now nearly 1 billion users, has announced its first-ever profitability alongside a significant update that introduces new verification tools, NFT-style digital gifts, and advanced search filters.
This comes at a time where Telegram navigates the aftermath of a tumultuous year marked by legal woes and reforms.
After years of operating without significant revenue streams, Telegram’s profitability represents a turning point. Premium subscriptions remain the cornerstone of its monetization strategy, with over 30 exclusive features catering to power users. Privacy-conscious ads and Telegram Stars further diversify revenue sources.
In a blog post, Telegram celebrated this achievement: “Thanks to you, our users, we were able to achieve this goal—which will allow us to keep prioritizing users and protecting privacy.”
Feature Updates: Third-Party Verification and New Search Filters
The update’s centerpiece is a third-party verification system designed to reduce scams and misinformation, issues that have plagued Telegram’s open ecosystem. Organizations already verified by Telegram can now authenticate additional accounts, which will display unique icons and detailed descriptions of their verified status. The new feature seeks to create a safer environment while preserving Telegram’s decentralized ethos.
The update also includes tools aimed at individual users. Telegram Stars, a virtual currency, powers the new collectible gift feature, allowing users to transform digital gifts into unique NFT-style assets.
Each upgraded gift is assigned specific traits—such as custom icons and backgrounds—making them tradable on blockchain marketplaces.
Enhanced search filters further improve usability, enabling users to sort messages by private chats, groups, or channels. Users can now sort results by chat type, making it easier to locate specific conversations in crowded inboxes.
For Telegram Premium subscribers, whose numbers have surpassed 12 million, the update adds exclusive personalization options, like emoji-only folder labels, complementing faster downloads and instant chat translation features already offered.
2024: A Turning Point for Telegram
Telegram’s recent achievements are inseparable from the challenges it faced in 2024. In August, founder Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris, accused of negligence in addressing illegal activities facilitated by the platform.
French authorities cited Telegram’s role in enabling the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), fraud, and drug trafficking. While Durov rejected these allegations as “misguided,” the incident catalyzed sweeping changes in Telegram’s approach to moderation.
In December 2024, Telegram announced a partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a U.K.-based nonprofit specializing in CSAM detection. This collaboration marks a departure from Telegram’s historical resistance to external oversight.
IWF Interim CEO Derek Ray-Hill described the move as “a transformational first step on a much longer journey.” Telegram has since integrated hash-matching technology, which assigns digital fingerprints to known abusive content, enabling proactive removal without compromising user privacy. Durov articulated Telegram’s new direction in a statement to users: “We aim to turn moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise.”
Telegram’s Place in a Changing World
Telegram’s challenges are not isolated. A United Nations report published in October 2024 highlighted the platform’s use in criminal operations across Southeast Asia, from fraud syndicates to unregulated cryptocurrency exchanges.
In South Korea, authorities linked Telegram to the proliferation of deepfake content, while in India, hackers exploited the platform to leak sensitive medical data. These incidents underline the global stakes of ensuring better moderation.
The platform has also faced increasing pressure from regulators, particularly in Europe. Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, Telegram processed over 6,000 legal data requests in 2024, reflecting a growing emphasis on accountability.
Telegram’s dual focus on profitability and reform positions it uniquely among messaging platforms. By integrating decentralized features like third-party verification and NFTs while addressing global safety concerns, the company is attempting to strike a balance between innovation and accountability.