Blockchain games built on TON are bringing millions to Web3 on Telegram, with games like Notcoin leading the charge.
Telegram's huge user base is proving to be an open field for cryptocurrency adoption as viral games like Notcoin explode in popularity.
It took less than two months for Notcoin to attract over 30 million users on Telegram and set up cryptocurrency wallets based on The Open Network.
The "idle game", in which users tap their screens to earn NOT tokens, has integrated 3% of Telegram users to Web3. The subsequent listing of NOT tokens on high-profile cryptocurrency exchanges has also led to a financial gain for casual players.
Inal Kardan, gaming lead at TON Foundation, spoke exclusively with Cointelegraph about the unrivaled ability of blockchain games to attract new users to the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Web3 players will reach 500 million by 2028
"By gaining 35 million users in five months, Notcoin showed us how games can work on Telegram and how easy it can be to integrate users," Kardan said during an interview at the Next Block Expo in Warsaw.
The TON Foundation gaming lead said several Telegram-based games are quickly attracting significant numbers of users and revenue following similar models that leverage marketing mechanics such as sharing and mining within Telegram.
Kardan described Telegram as an accessible and "somewhat unexplored" distribution channel that uses existing Web2 technologies integrated with web page extensions and blockchain functionality.
Kardan also highlighted a shift from the "play to win" models seen in popular Web3 games like Axie Infinity. Games like Notcoin take newer approaches, including traditional monetization tactics like advertising.
Hyper-casual games adapt to Telegram, TON
Yat Siu, co-founder of blockchain gaming venture capital firm Animoca Brands, told Cointelegraph that the ability to use viral growth mechanics previously possible on Facebook or Apple's App Store has contributed to the success of Web3 games in Telegram and TON.
Siu said that Web2 players have cut these mechanics because limiting liveness is better for advertising as a business:
"Neither Apple nor Google have been as flexible with Web3 games on their platforms as TON and Telegram have been. It's a competitive advantage to build and grow that TON is getting here too."
Siu acknowledges that idle clicker games have always been popular. However, the user engagement approach of games like Notcoin is a key differentiator.
"Notcoin's approach has much better value for end users and is more aligned with growth incentives compared to the adversarial nature of Web2 advertising business models," Siu added.
The data doesn't lie either. Siu points to Gamee, a Web3 gaming firm that actively deploys hyper-casual games on TON and Telegram. The company is engaging its users with staking and idle game mechanics. As a result, Gamee's average daily active users have increased to around one million.
The Animoca co-founder also highlighted that many Telegram users are already cryptocurrency natives. This mix of Web2 and Web3 players is coming together in a shared ecosystem.
"I personally see the rise of TON and Telegram and cryptocurrencies as related, not in the sense that their ethics and mission are aligned, but that they share an ethic about freedom, liberty, digital property rights and a decentralized mindset" Siu said.
Game developers set their sights on the TON ecosystem
Michał Dąbrowski, CEO and founder of blockchain gaming infrastructure provider Elympics, believes that Web3 games are poised to attract new cryptocurrency users.
Dąbrowski told Cointelegraph that game developers have historically had difficulty with monetization mechanics. Blockchain-based infrastructure closes this gap, allowing studios to use cryptocurrency wallets to incentivize and engage players.
Elympics sees great potential in the TON ecosystem, which is intrinsically linked to Telegram's huge user base. Its infrastructure is aimed at helping studios and developers deploy Web3 games on these platforms.
"Notcoin is a prime example. It took advantage of the viral aspect of a social platform like Telegram. Sharing is an important part of the mechanics," Dąbrowski said.
The Elympics CEO adds that Web3 functionality is revitalizing the idle gaming genre. Soft currencies, which players earn in-game, are now being monetized, giving users ownership and value for the time they spend playing.
