How 950 million users are joining Telegram’s crypto gaming boom

Lea Hogg July 30, 2024

SiGMA news

How 950 million users are joining Telegram’s crypto gaming boom

Messaging app Telegram has recently announced a significant milestone in its growth trajectory. The platform now boasts 950 million monthly active users, a substantial increase from the 900 million users reported earlier this spring. This rapid expansion is largely attributed to the burgeoning popularity of crypto games on the platform.

The surge in Telegram’s user numbers coincides with a boom in blockchain-based games that use the app as their primary platform. These games often utilize The Open Network (TON), a blockchain system that Telegram initially developed but later handed over to external developers as an open-source project.

One of the first games to kick off this trend was Notcoin, a simple tap-to-earn game that allowed players to collect virtual coins with the promise of future cryptocurrency rewards. Notcoin attracted millions of users who hoped to convert their in-game earnings into real crypto tokens.

Following Notcoin’s success, another game called Hamster Kombat quickly gained traction. With cute hamster characters and various ways to earn rewards, Hamster Kombat became a global phenomenon. By June, it had amassed 100 million users, and recent reports suggest the game now boasts over 250 million players worldwide.

The game’s popularity even caught the attention of the Iranian government, which expressed concerns about it potentially distracting citizens from an upcoming presidential election.

Telegram’s crypto gaming phenomenon

The success of these games has sparked a wave of new crypto games on Telegram. Titles like Yescoin, TapSwap, Catizen, PixelTap, W-Coin, and Musk Empire have emerged, each hoping to replicate the success of their predecessors. Some of these games are planning to launch their own tokens, either on the TON blockchain or other networks like Ethereum.

Interestingly, while Telegram had distanced itself from TON in 2020 due to regulatory concerns, the company has since found ways to reintegrate the network. For example, Telegram now uses TON to share ad revenue with channel owners on the platform.

The crypto gaming trend on Telegram has also attracted investment interest. The Open Platform (TOP), a prominent developer in the TON ecosystem, recently invested in Pluto Studio, the creator of the Catizen game. Catizen has already attracted 25 million players, showcasing the ongoing popularity of these Telegram-based crypto games.

As Telegram approaches the milestone of 1 billion users, it’s clear that the platform’s embrace of crypto gaming has played a significant role in its growth. The combination of easy-to-play games, the promise of cryptocurrency rewards, and Telegram’s large, existing user base has created a fertile ground for these games to flourish.