Author: TPAN
Compiled by: TechFlow
Okay, let’s move on to Blast’s TGE (Token Generation Event).
Blast’s TGE (Token Generation Event)
Over the past few months, we have seen multiple high profile projects conduct TGEs (Token Generation Events, which for those who are not familiar can be thought of as IPOs). These moments are like Christmas for the airdroppers, who receive airdrops of tokens and make money. Just like Christmas, these “gifts” can make the airdrop festival the best day or a disappointing day, depending on the number of tokens they receive or the price of the token after the release.
As someone who has participated in several recent TGEs, I’m more interested in how the events themselves play out, and Blast’s TGE was by far the most interesting. So, what did the team do?
TGE Announcement
Similar to other TGEs, Blast announced the event on X and Discord.
But one very important detail was left out...
Compared with ZKsync’s TGE announcement last week, the first line is the collection link, which is obviously the focus.
So, where is the Blast redemption link? It is buried below the post, and the detailed instructions are in the 9th post. Why?
Blast used the TGE event to provide more context about the chain’s achievements, what’s next, and the introduction of new terminology and slogans. If users are coming from Discord, they will see it three times (from: Discord announcement text, X post preview, X post).
Collection process
OK, now that you have found the link to claim it (which is actually blast.io), what’s next? Users first watch a non-skippable video where founder Pacman explains the chain’s achievements, next plans, and introduces new terms and slogans, etc…
After watching the video, users are required to install the Blast app on their mobile device and the desktop screen is redirected to the Blast blog post sharing the team’s vision for the chain (I guess you know what the blog post is about).
Blast Application
The Blast app is not a full mobile app, but a PWA (Progressive Web App, popularized by friendtech). After installing the app, users can finally claim their airdrop after waiting in line (I waited about 5 minutes, others waited longer, probably because their allotment was larger).
But hey, you won't be bored while you wait, you can watch a video called "Blast: THE FULLSTACK CHAIN".
Golden Tickets and Blast Wallet
After claiming $BLAST tokens, the app displays a dashboard similar to the desktop version, but with a new mobile-only feature: the Golden Ticket.
Golden Tickets are basically lottery scratch cards, except in this case, it seems like every single one (of the 4 I scratched) is a winner. The value of each prize is different, and some prizes are physical, including merchandise and a Cybertruck (they obviously know what their audience likes). The amount of assets bridged and the amount of app usage determines how much you get each week. Every wallet that claims the airdrop gets at least 1 Golden Ticket, giving users a dopamine rush and an understanding of how the mini-game works.
The final section of the app is the wallet, and Blast shared that the mobile wallet will be launched in the fourth quarter.
TGE Theme by Blast
Complaints about price and airdrops aside (there will always be grumblers), this was another impressive performance from the Blast team.
TGE: Token Generation Event Becomes Token Generation Experience
Historically, TGE has been an event (it’s in the acronym, after all), but not really treated like one. Blast captured the rare moment when the project was able to capture user attention:
Put the link in the announcement post
Contains a non-skippable video
When users switch from desktop to mobile, the desktop page automatically redirects to the Blast blog post, maximizing every piece of digital real estate
Requires users to download the Blast mobile app to claim
The only similar experience I can think of is Azuki’s “check your wallet” moment at a real-life event, airdropping NFTs to Azuki holders in real time. Not as flashy, of course, but an experience nonetheless.
Of course, users can mute the video or quickly complete the steps, and almost everyone does. However, Blast counteracts this behavior by repeatedly emphasizing two core themes:
Full stack chain
Cancel bank deposit
Even if users are not consciously following these topics, their brains are processing the information subconsciously. Take a look at their updated Twitter profiles.
The collection time becomes more complicated
The days of simply claiming airdropped tokens are over. Now it’s X to claim (complete tasks to claim) or claim and X (after claiming, you still have to complete tasks to unlock all), which is a variation of the X-to-mint concept I introduced earlier. We see the same thing with other projects that have recently conducted TGEs:
Pirate Nation, a web3 game, uses a “claim and stake” mechanism. The sooner you stake your airdrop, the greater the multiplier of future rewards.
LayerZero introduces the concept of “donation collection”
Blast brings download and collect, introduces mobile app
Future TGE events will follow this theme and may even be more demanding. As a far-fetched hypothetical example, Blast could even force users to give microphone access and repeat "Blast is the best" 100 times before they can proceed.
Will people get mad? Yes (although I would find it hilarious).
Do people do this? Of course, this is the full stack chain we are talking about!
Projects and teams will begin to shift their thinking about Token Generation Events (TGEs) from a singular moment to an experience that captures a lot of attention. The key is to find the balance between making it fresh for users while avoiding making them feel like they are completing another tedious “task.” Blast did a great job of this by giving users who completed the claiming process a surprise of Golden Tickets.
TGE is an opportunity to seed new behavior loops
No longer just a one-time event, Blast launched a mobile app and introduced a new mobile behavior loop complete with golden ticket rewards, thus becoming a multi-platform layer 2 blockchain in addition to Coinbase and Base (although that’s a bit like comparing apples to oranges).
Although the Blast app is a progressive web app (PWA), the team treats it like a full mobile app, using terms like “download,” “app,” and “install.” The app even has an update interface similar to when a forced update is in progress.
When Blast Wallet launches, user adoption friction will be reduced as it will be seen as a new feature rather than a completely new onboarding experience as most of the heavy lifting has already been done.
So, folks, Blast and Pacman have done it again. We’ll see if their approach inspires other teams to take a page from this TGE playbook and expand upon it in the coming months.