Telegram Gift NFT Sells for $20,000 as Pavel Durov Backs Young Coders

A U.S. high‑school student turned a free coding trophy into a $20,000 sale by selling his Telegram Gift NFT for 15,000 GRAM tokens.

Prize Origin and Winner

The student, Jonathan He, earned a gold medal at the 2026 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) and was ranked seventh globally. Instead of a traditional medal, Telegram awarded him an Algorithm Cup – a digital collectible minted on the TON blockchain.

Sale Details

The Algorithm Cup was sold for 15,000 GRAM, which, at a market price of about $1.36 per GRAM, equals roughly $20,400. This price is about 40 times the average value Telegram estimated for the 235 cups, which total $117,000 (approximately $500 per cup).

Pavel Durov’s Reaction

Telegram founder Pavel Durov highlighted the transaction on his channel, describing the proceeds as seed money for young developers. He referenced his own experience launching a company with $20,000 in the early 2000s and encouraged other winners to invest their GRAM tokens similarly.

Context on GRAM

GRAM, the token formerly known as Toncoin, has fallen about 56 % in value over the past year, trading near $1.36 at the time of the sale. Despite the decline, the NFT fetched a six‑figure amount in GRAM.

Other Purchases by Durov

Durov has previously bought Telegram collectibles, including a Plush Pepe NFT for 7,500 GRAM in June, marking his third such purchase since December 2025.