Telegram has just made a new move as audacious as it is ambitious: a $50,000 content challenge to creators and tech fans: a competition celebrating how it has continued to innovate the messaging space—especially when compared to WhatsApp. The initiative is an open invitation for creators to celebrate Telegram’s firsts, many of which launched years ahead of WhatsApp replicating similar features. With this contest, Telegram is flaunting its legacy of innovation and inviting users to share the story.
A Long History of Being the First to Innovate
Telegram has established itself as the app that breaks new ground, and not an emulator. The app has launched features since its founding in 2013 that broke boundaries years before its competitors mimicked it. These include end-to-end encrypted secret chats, disappearing media, multi-device syncing, and feature-rich bots. Telegram also pioneered large group chat functionality, broadcast channel capabilities, and full desktop usability without needing a phone connection.
On the other hand, WhatsApp has constantly been catching up. Vanishing messages, group call joining, channel support, and multi-device support were all introduced in WhatsApp well after Telegram had already built them. All this background of innovation is what underlies the message Telegram would have creators relay through the competition.
A Platform Built with Creators in Mind
One aspect of Telegram’s innovation leadership is the way it directly empowers creators. In 2024, Telegram introduced a set of new monetization features to enable content creators and communities on its platform. The features opened new revenue opportunities much bigger than any other messaging app can provide.
An example is Telegram Stars, a system of digital tokens that users employ to reward favored channels. Stars can be redeemed in the form of advertisement credits or exchanged for Toncoin, a natively based cryptocurrency on Telegram’s blockchain platform. Another incredible feature is Star Subscriptions, where creators are given the feature to monetize paid subscriptions. Subscriptions can offer benefits in the form of exclusive media, early access to posts, and subscriber-only media.
Telegram further launched paid media features for bots that enable companies and developers to monetize premium photos and videos within the application. These features combined provide a creator-based platform where compelling content has room to thrive and earn money.
The Contest: Highlighting Telegram’s Innovation Edge
The $50,000 challenge is not only about compensating creators—it’s about informing users and changing the conversation about messaging apps. Competitors are encouraged to create short-form video content showcasing how Telegram has been incorporating features years ahead of WhatsApp. This covers group video calls and stickers, privacy features, multi-accounting, and the platform’s strong API.
Submissions will be evaluated on creativity, clarity, and ability to demonstrate Telegram’s place at the forefront of innovation. Although the full rules and submission details are published on the platform, the contest reflects Telegram’s contention that the public has a right to know where the majority of today’s ubiquitous features first came from. This is more than a branding campaign. It is an effort, strategic in intent, to utilize the voice of the crowd to assert the app’s claim to being the genuine innovator in messaging.
Telegram’s Vision for the Future
The vision of Telegram goes beyond messaging. It has gone on to develop a communications platform that integrates finance, automation, content creation, and social networking. With nearly a billion users across the globe and a maniac rate of advancement, the service is revolutionizing what people are able to get out of messaging applications.
This contest is the natural progression of that dream. By offering a grand prize to creatives who are able to convey Telegram’s tech leadership, the platform is reinforcing its brand as the bold, agile counterpoint to WhatsApp. It’s a rebuke to the status quo—and an invitation to users to become part of the story.