Telegram‘s vast user base is becoming fertile ground for cryptocurrency adoption, with viral games like Notcoin surging in popularity.
In less than two months, Notcoin attracted over 30 million users on Telegram and established The Open Network (TON)-based cryptocurrency wallets.
This “idle game,” where users tap their screens to earn NOT tokens, has integrated 3% of Telegram users into the Web3 space.
Listing NOT tokens on major cryptocurrency exchanges has also provided financial benefits for casual gamers.
Inal Kardan, gaming lead at TON Foundation, discussed with Cointelegraph the unique ability of blockchain gaming to draw new users into the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
“Gaining 35 million users in five months, Notcoin showed us how games can work on Telegram and how easy it can be to onboard users,” Kardan said at the Next Block Expo in Warsaw.
Kardan noted that several Telegram-based games are quickly attracting significant user numbers and revenues by leveraging marketing mechanics like sharing and mining within Telegram.
He described Telegram as an accessible and “somewhat untapped distribution channel” that integrates Web2 technologies with web page extensions and blockchain functionality.
Kardan also mentioned a shift from the “play-to-earn” models of popular Web3 games like Axie Infinity.
Games like Notcoin are adopting newer approaches, including traditional monetization tactics like advertising.
Yat Siu, co-founder of blockchain gaming venture capital firm Animoca Brands, explained that the success of Web3 games on Telegram and TON is due to viral growth mechanics previously used on platforms like Facebook or the Apple App Store.
“Neither Apple nor Google have been as flexible on Web3 games on their platforms the way TON and Telegram have been. It’s a competitive builder/growth advantage that TON is getting here too,” Siu said.
Siu emphasized that idle clicker games have always been popular, but the user engagement approach of games like Notcoin is a key differentiator.
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“The Notcoin approach has far better value for end-users and is more aligned with growth incentives versus the adversarial nature of Web2 advertising business models,” he added.
Siu cited Gamee, a Web3 gaming firm using hyper-casual games on TON and Telegram, as an example.
Gamee’s average daily active user count has increased to around one million due to staking and idle game mechanics.
Michał Dąbrowski, CEO and founder of blockchain game infrastructure provider Elympics, believes Web3 games are set to attract new cryptocurrency users.
Dąbrowski told Cointelegraph that blockchain infrastructure bridges the gap for game developers struggling with monetization mechanics, allowing them to use cryptocurrency wallets to incentivize and engage players.
Elympics sees immense potential in the TON ecosystem, which is closely linked to Telegram’s large user base. “Notcoin is a prime example.
It tapped into the viral aspect of a social platform like Telegram. Sharing is an important part of the mechanics,” Dąbrowski said.
He added that Web3 functionality is revitalizing the idle gaming genre, giving users ownership and value from their gameplay through monetized soft currencies.
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