Lex Fridman Podcast

Podbit · Lex Fridman Podcast

#482 – Pavel Durov: Telegram, Freedom, Censorship, Money, Power & Human Nature

Explore episode Oct 1, 2025
Technology
Telegram Gifts: Vector Art NFTs That Sold $12M in 30 Minutes

#482 – Pavel Durov: Telegram, Freedom, Censorship, Money, P… · Oct 1, 2025 Technology

Telegram Gifts are blockchain-based collectibles that live next to your name in your Telegram profile — not lost in some isolated wallet. Snoop Dogg gifts sold $12 million worth in 30 minutes, and original collections that launched at $5 per item now have a floor price of $10,000. This is what happens when art, engineering, and social relevance collide at billion-user scale.

5 min

Where this was said

TON

At 3:55:00 · chapter starts 3:52:45

The TON (The Open Network) blockchain originated in 2018-19 when Durov asked his brother Nikolai whether it was possible to build a blockchain that could inherently scale through sharding — splitting into smaller parallel chains — rather than hitting congestion limits like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Nikolai said yes, with effort, and they built it. The SEC blocked the initial token sale fundraise, forcing Telegram to abandon the project, which was then taken over by the open source community. The platform now underpins Telegram's username ownership system (usernames as NFTs on smart contracts, impossible for Telegram to confiscate), the channel revenue-sharing program (50/50 split with channel owners, paid in TON), and — most dramatically — Telegram Gifts. The Gifts represent what Durov frames as a reinvention of NFTs: not isolated digital assets in a wallet nobody can see, but blockchain-backed collectibles displayed next to your name in your Telegram profile, creating social relevance. The Snoop Dogg collection, featuring over 50 versions of each gift, sold $12 million worth of items in 30 minutes. Early gift collections that sold for $5 per item now trade at floor prices of approximately $10,000. The success has made TON one of the largest or second-largest blockchains by daily NFT trading volume within six months of launch.

Society & Culture
Sperm Donation: Durov Estimates He Has 100+ Biological Children

#482 – Pavel Durov: Telegram, Freedom, Censorship, Money, P… · Oct 1, 2025 Society & Culture

About 15 years ago, Durov began donating sperm to help couples struggling with fertility, eventually leading to an estimated 100+ biological children he has never met. He's since updated his will to treat all biological children equally — they're entitled to a share of his estate once they can establish DNA, but receive nothing during his lifetime to preserve their drive.

4m 4s

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