What happened
Telegram has rolled out a major update featuring several new capabilities for users and businesses. The headline addition is 'Star Messages,' which allows users, channel owners, and group admins to require a fee in Telegram Stars to receive messages from unknown senders, effectively curbing spam. Creators can withdraw these stars via the Fragment platform. Additionally, Telegram introduced Verification 2.0 for its Gateway service, offering automated user authentication for businesses at a significantly lower cost of just $0.01 per verification, complete with automatic refunds if messages fail to deliver on time. Other notable features in this release include dedicated contact information pages to help prevent scams, the ability to gift Telegram Premium subscriptions using stars, and Chromecast video streaming support for Android devices.