TikTok has become a multi-billion-dollar engine, and TikTok Coins are at the heart of it. In 2023 alone, users globally sent an estimated $6.5 billion in virtual gifts during live streams.
In 2024, global consumer spending on TikTok’s in-app purchases, largely driven by coin purchases for virtual gifting during livestreams, surged to an estimated $6 billion, marking one of the platform’s highest annual revenue milestones.
And in 2025, the TikTok Live ecosystem continues to explode, more than 400,000 creators streaming daily, and over 30 million users tuning in each day to send virtual gifts.
For creators, understanding how coins translate to revenue, how to optimize their lives, and what pitfalls to avoid is more important than ever. And for users, understanding where your support goes and how to gift smartly can make your contributions more meaningful.
1. What TikTok Coins Are and How They Work Today
TikTok Coins are the platform’s official virtual currency, a digital token you can buy with real money and use to send virtual gifts, boost posts, and support creators.
But, Coins have become more than just fun animations on a livestream. They’re now a key part of TikTok’s internal economy, powering everything from creator payouts to content discovery.
Once you purchase TikTok coins, you can use them to send virtual gifts to your favorite creators. Each gift has its own coin value and appears as a unique animated emoji, making the experience fun and interactive.
The entire coin-and-gift system is designed as a virtual “tip jar,” giving fans an easy way to support creators, and creators a great stream of income.
TikTok’s Virtual Items Policy
TikTok has tightened the rules around Coins over the past year. Here’s what matters:
- Coins are for users aged 18+ in most regions, with stricter ID checks rolling out across the EU.
- Coins are non-refundable after purchase, except in rare error cases specified in local law.
- Coins cannot be exchanged for cash, resold, or transferred to other accounts.
- All gifts purchased with Coins fall under TikTok’s Virtual Items Policy, which outlines what users can buy, how they can use items, and what happens if items violate guidelines.
These updates came as TikTok scaled its virtual economy to meet stricter consumer protection standards in the US and EU. The policy refresh was designed to prevent underage spending and curb third-party scams.
How TikTok Coins Fit Into the Creator Economy
Coins form the foundation of TikTok’s virtual economy. First, viewers purchase Coins and use them to send virtual gifts during livestreams or under videos.
These gifts are then converted by TikTok into Diamonds, which appear in the creator’s account balance. Finally, creators can withdraw these Diamonds as real money, after TikTok takes its commission.
To avoid confusion, here’s the current breakdown:
- Coins → Used to buy Gifts
- Gifts → Sent using Coins
- Diamonds → Earned by creators from Gifts
- Cash → Diamonds can be exchanged for money
Types of Gifts Have Expanded
TikTok regularly releases new virtual gifts, especially seasonal or limited-time items. Gift values now range from the Rose at 1 coin (~$0.01) to the TikTok Universe at 44,999 coins (~$562.48), offering options for both casual support and major contributions. The 2025 TikTok Gifts list includes:
🌹 Rose – 1 coin (≈ $0.01 USD)
🐼 Panda – 5 coins (≈ $0.07 USD)
💐 Perfume – 20 coins (≈ $0.27 USD)
❤️ I Love You – 49 coins (≈ $0.65 USD)
🎉 Confetti – 100 coins (≈ $1.33 USD)
🕶️ Sunglasses – 199 coins (≈ $2.64 USD)
💸 Money Rain – 500 coins (≈ $6.65 USD)
✨ Disco Ball – 1,000 coins (≈ $13.30 USD)
🧜♀️ Mermaid – 2,988 coins (≈ $39.74 USD)
✈️ Airplane – 6,000 coins (≈ $79.78 USD)
🪐 Planet – 15,000 coins (≈ $199.50 USD)
💎✈️ Diamond Flight – 18,000 coins (≈ $239.40 USD)
🦁 Lion – 29,999 coins (≈ $398.95 USD)
🌌 TikTok Universe – 44,999 coins (≈ $562.48 USD)
2. How TikTok Coins Work
TikTok Coins operate on a simple idea: you buy coins with real money, then spend those coins inside the app. But in 2025, how you buy them, and where you buy them, can dramatically affect the price you pay and the value you get.
TikTok pushes users toward buying coins on the web, where the prices are often 20–35% cheaper than in the mobile app. This is because web purchases bypass Apple and Google’s 30% app store fees.
TikTok also uses a dynamic regional pricing model, meaning coin prices vary based on:
- Country.
- Currency.
- Local payment fees.
- Inflation and purchasing power.
In addition, TikTok upgraded its account dashboards so users can now see their full purchase history, track all gift purchases and spending, detect irregular transactions, and file disputes if a transaction fails.
3. How Creators Earn From TikTok Coins
TikTok Coins are more than virtual gifts, for creators, they’re a real source of income, and in 2025, the earning potential is higher than ever. With more viewers tuning into Lives, sending gifts, and participating in Battles, TikTok’s creator payouts tied to Coins continue to grow at double-digit rates annually.
Creators don’t receive coins directly. Instead, viewers purchase Coins and send virtual gifts, which TikTok converts into Diamonds that appear in the creator’s account.
Creators can then cash out Diamonds as real money via PayPal, bank transfer, or selected local wallets, with payments generally made in USD and converted to local currencies where applicable.
Creators typically earn about 50% of what viewers spend. Earnings vary by region, gift type, platform fees, and taxes. Live streaming is particularly lucrative. TikTok has added features to boost earnings, including Live Battles, Streak Gifting, gifting in comments, and Double Rewards/Event Weeks, all of which increase gift volume and engagement.
With TikTok tightening ad revenue programs and expanding Live monetization, Coins have become the dominant way creators earn money.
4. Safety, Scams & Smart Strategies for TikTok Coin Users
As TikTok’s coin economy grows, so do the risks. In 2025, more scammers are targeting users seeking “free” coins or cheaper top-ups, and even legitimate payment issues are on the rise.
Many sites claiming to generate free coins are scams, often asking for your TikTok login, personal data, or prompting malware downloads. Unauthorized resellers may offer discounted coins using fraudulent payment methods, which can result in lost payments, missing coins, or even account bans.
Some livestreams ask users to “recharge” someone else’s account or promise coins will be returned, but these schemes often lead to account compromise. Reports also show unauthorized recurring charges or hacked accounts where attackers buy coins and send them away, sometimes leaving users with negative balances.
TikTok Coins now sit at the core of TikTok’s creator economy, with billions exchanged every year and gifting shaping everything from livestream rankings to creator payouts.
Whether you're a creator looking to maximize earnings, a fan supporting your favorite livestreamers, or a business boosting engagement, staying informed helps you make every coin count. And with tools like Nuelink automating your posting and keeping your visibility consistent, you can focus more on Lives, gifting, and community interaction, the activities that drive real results on TikTok.
