Telegram's extensive user base is proving to be fertile ground for cryptocurrency adoption, with viral games like Notcoin gaining immense popularity. Notcoin amassed over 30 million users on Telegram and established TON-based cryptocurrency wallets in under two months.
The "idle game" allows users to earn NOT tokens by tapping their screens, leading to 3% of Telegram users embracing Web3. The subsequent listing of NOT tokens on prominent cryptocurrency exchanges has resulted in significant profits for casual gamers.
Inal Kardan, gaming lead at TON Foundation, highlighted blockchain gaming's unparalleled capacity to draw new users into the cryptocurrency ecosystem in an exclusive interview.
500 million Web3 players by 2028
During an interview at Next Block Expo in Warsaw, Kardan stated, "Notcoin showed us how games can work on Telegram and how easy it can be to onboard users. The platform gained 35 million users in just five months."
According to the lead for TON Foundation's gaming division, a number of Telegram-based games are rapidly garnering a sizable user base and substantial income through comparable business models that make advantage of Telegram's marketing features like mining and sharing.
Kardan characterized Telegram as an approachable and “fairly unexplored channel of distribution” that leverages current Web2 technologies combined with blockchain features and web page extensions.
Kardan also emphasized a departure from the "play-to-earn" models observed in popular Web3 games such as Axie Infinity. Games like Notcoin are adopting alternative strategies, incorporating traditional monetization methods like advertising.
Casual games are ideal for Telegram, TON
Web3 games on Telegram and TON have been successful because of the potential to leverage viral growth mechanics that were previously feasible on Facebook or the App Store, according to Yat Siu, co-founder of blockchain gaming venture capital firm Animoca Brands.
According to Siu, Web2 gamers have disabled these mechanics because it is more advantageous for businesses to restrict vitality in order to advertise:
"TON and Telegram have demonstrated greater flexibility when it comes to Web3 gaming on their platforms than have Apple and Google. Here, too, TON is gaining a growth advantage and competitive builder."
Siu acknowledges that idle clicker games have consistently enjoyed popularity. However, the user engagement strategy employed by games like Notcoin stands out significantly.
According to Siu, the approach taken by Notcoin offers greater value for end-users and aligns better with growth incentives compared to the adversarial nature of web2 advertising business models.
The evidence supports this assertion. Siu cites Gamee, a Web3 gaming company actively rolling out hyper-casual games on TON and Telegram. By integrating staking and idle game mechanics, the company has seen its average daily active user count soar to approximately one million.
Furthermore, Animoca's co-founder underscores that many Telegram users are already familiar with cryptocurrencies. This convergence of Web2 and Web3 gamers within a shared ecosystem is notable.
Siu personally sees the rise of TON, Telegram, and crypto as interconnected phenomena. While acknowledging their differing ethos and missions, Siu highlights their shared values of freedom, digital property rights, and a decentralized mindset.
Game creators focus on the TON ecosystem
Web3 games, in the opinion of CEO and creator Michał Dąbrowski of blockchain gaming infrastructure provider Elympics, are poised to draw in new bitcoin users.
Dąbrowski reveals that monetization mechanics have always been a source of difficulty for game makers. This gap is filled by blockchain-based technology, which enables studios to employ cryptocurrency wallets to engage and encourage gamers.
Given that the TON ecosystem is inextricably linked to Telegram's enormous user base, Elympics sees enormous potential in it. Its infrastructure is designed to facilitate the release of Web3 games on various platforms by studios and developers.
Bitcoin is a good illustration. It made use of Telegram's viral nature as a social media tool. A crucial component of the mechanics is sharing, according to Dąbrowski.
The CEO of Elympics further explains that Web3 capabilities are revitalizing the idle gaming genre. Soft currencies, earned by players within the game, are now being monetized, granting users ownership and tangible value for the time they invest in playing.
May 2024, Cryptoniteuae