WASHINGTON — Instant messaging platform Telegram, is celebrating its 11th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the platform has unveiled new features to help content creators monetize their work.
Telegram is celebrating its birthday, and the social network is celebrating its creators with a great gift. From now on, users will be able to support content creators and channels by directly sending “stars” thanks to the “star reaction” function.
This new system will actually enable those concerned to convert 100 per cent of the stars received into Toncoin, Telegram’s cryptocurrency, and thus into cash. Telegram says it will charge a commission, but does not say how much.
Creators will nevertheless be able to reinvest their gifts in advertising, subsidized up to 30 per cent by the platform, AFP reported.
By sending a “star reaction” on a post in a channel, an animation is then launched on the screen. Users can press longer on the post to see the “star” option appear, as Telegram shows in its blog post.
To obtain stars, users must pay a fee ranging from $0.29 for 15 stars to $49.99 for 2500 stars.
For the most generous, a ranking of top donors is available. However, users can choose to remain anonymous and choose to not have their name appear in the list, the platform points out.
In addition to spontaneous donations, users can, as on Twitch, subscribe to a channel in exchange for a monthly payment, the price of which is set by the creator. In exchange for a specific number of stars, users will have access to exclusive content.
However, if a subscriber pays for access to the channel, a creator of a professional Telegram account will also be able to share paid-for content.
