Telegram launches Stars, its own virtual currency for in-app purchases

Telegram has new virtual currency called Stars through which users can make purchases in widgets. This was announced by the head of the platform Pavel Durov, who also said that the developers of these applications integrated into Telegram will be able to withdraw coins through the TON cryptocurrency.

Telegram Stars, in particular, serve to pay for a subscription or any other purchase related to mini-applications in Telegramwhich are applications included in the platform itself and do not require downloading.

In fact, stars work like any other virtual currency that we can find in any game. The user can buy Stars for real money. through the payment process integrated into the app itself and save them in your Telegram account to later spend on specified mini-apps.

Developers subsequently receive these Stars and can perform two actions with them. On the one side, withdraw them and convert them into cryptocurrency; in particular, in Toncoins. On the other hand, use them to promote your applications in Telegram “on preferential terms,” says Durov.

In fact, purchasing and using Stars is not exempt from the 30% fee that Google and Apple charge for in-app purchases. But the Telegram director emphasizes that if developers reinvest the Stars they receive into promoting their application, the total commission will be almost 0%. “As a result, launching apps on Telegram makes more economic sense than launching traditional mobile apps,” he says.

How to buy Stars in Telegram to use them in mini-applications

Buying stars on Telegram is very easy. Just update the application to the latest version and go to the special tab where you can receive stars. Next, The user must select the number of stars they want to store in their Telegram account.. The price of the platform’s virtual currency is 0.29 cents per 15 stars.

Then, after saving, you only need to access the widget and purchase any item in it. For example, in the game you can purchase accessories or anything else that will allow you to level up, and pay directly with Telegram virtual currency.