According to PANews, Telegram’s dedicated auction platform Fragment has begun to enforce the real-name authentication (KYC) procedure. Users need to pass identity verification before they can purchase services such as “Star Coins”, Telegram Premium or anonymous numbers.
The verification process is provided by a third-party service Sumsub and requires users to submit their email, phone number, ID scan, and facial photo. Currently, the purchase of Telegram Premium and Star Coins through @PremiumBot or the App Store is not affected.
Decentralized markets such as Getgems.io still support the purchase of anonymous numbers and usernames with cryptocurrency without KYC, but it is unclear whether these NFTs can be used in Telegram in the long term. Telegram officials have not yet responded to this change.