Telegram is Auctioning Phone Numbers To Let Users Sign Up To the Service Without Any SIM

Ivan Mehta, writing for TechCrunch: After putting unique usernames on the auction on the TON blockchain, Telegram is now putting anonymous numbers up for bidding. These numbers could be used to sign up for Telegram without needing any SIM card. Just like the username auction, you can buy these virtual numbers on Fragment, which is a site specially created for Telegram-related auctions. To buy a number, you will have to link your TON wallet (Tonkeeper) to the website. You can buy a random number for as low as 9 toncoins, which is equivalent to roughly $16.50 at the time of writing. Some of the premium virtual numbers -- such as +888-8-888 -- are selling for 31,500 toncoins (~$58,200). Notably, you can only use this number to sign up for Telegram. You can't use it to receive SMS or calls or use it to register for another service.

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