Are Telegram Mini Apps the next global trend for cryptocurrency?
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Are Telegram Mini Apps the next global trend for cryptocurrency?
Telegram mini-apps on the TON blockchain have quickly gained popularity through the "play-to-earn" model, attracting a large number of users, although their long-term sustainability remains to be seen.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsBy: Ilia Ilinskii
Translation: Baicai Blockchain
Over the past few months, applications on the TON blockchain such as Notcoin and Hamster Kombat have rapidly gained popularity. Hamster Kombat has reached 250 million users—more than Binance’s app, which has 200 million. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has called TON mini-apps an "internet phenomenon," citing Hamster Kombat's success as a prime example.
In this article, I will explore the most popular Telegram mini-apps, their user interfaces, and marketing mechanisms.
1. Hottest Mini-Apps
In practice, Telegram mini-apps follow a "play-to-earn" model, comparable to clicker games on Steam. The mechanism of these apps is very simple: users perform specific actions within the app and receive rewards in return. The most common action is tapping the screen to earn the app’s native cryptocurrency. Compared to the previous generation of play-to-earn games, these crypto clickers stand out primarily due to their simplicity.
Notcoin was the first such application on Telegram. In addition to tapping, users must enter a specific code daily and complete other tasks, such as subscribing to NOT partner channels. Incidentally, Notcoin lacks any game narrative. Hamster Kombat, however, is different. According to HK’s storyline, users become the CEO of a cryptocurrency exchange and earn HMSTR tokens by growing their company. Additional rewards are granted for entering secret Morse-code-style codes (all of which can be found on Telegram).
2. Launch of Notcoin and Hamster Kombat Tokens
The Notcoin token (NOT) is now listed on top-tier exchanges including Bybit and Binance. According to CoinMarketCap, its price has been highly volatile since May, dropping below $0.005 at its lowest and reaching as high as $0.026. Currently, NOT trades around $0.016. Alex, the founder of Notcoin, has spoken publicly about future plans for the project, aiming to transform it into a launchpad for promotional campaigns and startup initiatives.
Given the immense popularity of the Hamster Kombat token, its official listing could become one of the major events in the crypto space in 2024. Bybit is the most likely platform for the launch, especially since it recently opened pre-market trading for HMSTR.
Among other popular Telegram mini-apps are Catizen, Tapswap, YesCoin, and Blum. Catizen and YesCoin have joined the TON Open League and ranked first and second respectively in the fourth-quarter ratings. These projects are frequently mentioned in popular TON ecosystem channels, indicating potential, although nothing is yet confirmed.
3. Which Apps Have Potential—and Which Don’t?
For most apps, profitability depends less on token listings or sales (as with earlier play-to-earn games) and more on marketing performance. Advertising via mini-apps and attracting real users through direct integration have become key strategies for digital product promotion.
The primary marketing channel for promoting mini-apps is the Telegram Ads service, where users can pay for ad placements using TON or TON Stars. Previously, advertising on Telegram required substantial budgets or direct access to desired channels, but over recent months, conditions have become more flexible. At least, that’s the view held by many channel owners and marketers.
4. About the TON Blockchain Ecosystem
I’d like to highlight the TON blockchain ecosystem, which has rightfully become one of the world’s leading blockchain ecosystems this year. Its main advantage lies in its deep integration with Telegram, combined with extremely fast transaction speeds. During last year’s public performance tests, it achieved smart contract execution speeds of up to 104,715 transactions per second.
The TON ecosystem already includes several convenient wallets and decentralized exchanges (DEXs).
A key event driving growth in the TON ecosystem this year was its partnership with Tether and the introduction of native USDT on the TON blockchain. The amount of USDT on the chain has already reached 572 million dollars. Recently, TON also secured a record investment from the renowned venture capital firm Pantera Capital. You can read the latest TON news in the community channels and find a list of projects and tokens on the TON.app website.
5. Can I Publish My App on Telegram?
As with any hot market in the crypto space, many people are eager to launch their own clicker apps, and some have indeed succeeded. Today, with open-source tools, you can quickly build your own mini-app, but attracting traffic remains challenging.
Meanwhile, competition for traffic and potential users is intensifying. The largest advertising channels for promoting clicker apps are Telegram Ads and partnerships with existing mini-apps.
6. Conclusion
Telegram mini-apps introduce a new mechanism for effectively promoting cryptocurrencies—by directly giving crypto to users. This automates airdrops and greatly simplifies the process. Overall, this is beneficial for cryptocurrency adoption. Users enjoy entertainment while learning how to use crypto through gameplay.
As with the story of play-to-earn games, there is much excitement—but the key question remains: will these projects endure, or are they merely fleeting trends? If we compare clicker app tokens to memecoins, both are similarly volatile and lack direct collateral. But at the very least, mini-apps boast massive communities and millions of daily active users.
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