The Singapore-based fund invests in an unusual crypto asset: good-looking Telegram usernames, including crypto-related ones like @ether and @cryp. The audience of Telegram keeps on rising, as well as the audience of the TON blockchain that’s used for reselling usernames, so the usernames could possibly get more valuable over time.
V3V Ventures also has more traditional investments for venture capital. It invested in startups such as BitLayer (Layer-2 solution for Bitcoin) and CrossCurve (enabling cross-chain liquidity on Curve). But this year it got into the Telegram usernames market that’s off the beaten track.
Telegram let its users resell usernames in 2022, implementing them as NFTs on the TON blockchain, which boasts deep integration with Telegram. So buying a username means owning a corresponding NFT.
Some people buy Telegram usernames for vanity purposes: owning a short username makes an impression. Some buy a fitting username for their project. But those are usually people who need only 1-2 usernames, and they don’t think much about reselling them.
V3V Ventures had a different strategy. It recognized an asset that can become more valuable over time and decided it’s a good investment. So it acquired a whole list of usernames. The most crypto-related ones are @ether and @cryp. But there’s also a whole range of others, ranging from @trade to @anime.
Instead of simply hoarding the usernames and doing nothing, V3V used them to create topical Telegram public channels. @cryp and @ether were both tied to the same channel posting the crypto news (just the general market news without sensalionalist “buy-it-now” approach). Then the fund attracted more than 5 million subscribers to the channel. A similar thing happened to other acquired usernames such as @trade. So instead of passively waiting for the asset price to rise, the fund turned it into a project that’s acquiring an audience (which is also valuable).
Telegram userbase has been growing steadily for years, almost reaching 1 billion MAU by now. TON blockchain has also been rising this year, with notable projects like @Major. So if the usernames are in demand now and the audience will keep on growing, that would probably create even more of demand. Obviously, NFA DYOR: that’s not advice to buy usernames immediately, just an observation there’s a market most people don’t even notice.
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