Telegram’s massive user base is proving to be a greenfield 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 TON-based cryptocurrency wallets.

The “idle game.” in which users tap their screens to earn NOT tokens, has onboarded 1% of Telegram users to Web3. The subsequent listing of NOT tokens on high-profile cryptocurrency exchanges has also led to a financial windfall for casual gamers.

Inal Kardan, gaming lead at TON Foundation, spoke exclusively to Cointelegraph about blockchain gaming’s unrivaled ability to attract new users into the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

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“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 during an interview at Next Block Expo in Warsaw.

TON Foundation's gaming lead said several Telegram-based games are quickly attracting significant user numbers and revenues following similar models that leverage marketing mechanics like sharing and mining within Telegram.

Kardan described Telegram as an accessible and “somewhat untapped distribution channel” using existing Web2 technologies that are integrated with web page extensions and blockchain functionality.

Kardan also highlighted a shift from“play-to-earn” models seen in popular Web3 games like Axie Infinity. Games like Notcoin adopt newer approaches, which include traditional monetization tactics like advertising.

Hyper-casual games suit Telegram, TON

Yat Siu, co-founder of blockchain gaming VC firm Animoca Brands, told Cointelegraph that the ability to use viral growth mechanics previously possible on Facebook or the App Store has contributed to the success of Web3 games on Telegram and TON.

Siu said that Web2 players have cut off these mechanics because limiting vitality is better for advertising as a business:

“Neither Apple or 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 concedes that idle clicker games have always been popular. However, the user engagement approach of games like Notcoin is a key differentiator.

“The Notcoin approach has far better value for end-users and is more aligned growth incentives versus the adversarial nature of web2 advertising business models,” Siu added.

Related: Telegram-linked Toncoin soars 50% in May for these 3 reasons

The data doesn't lie, either. Siu points to Gamee, a Web3 gaming firm actively deploying 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 user count has increased to around one million.

Animoca’s co-founder also highlights that many Telegram users are already crypto-natives. This mix of Web2 and Web3 gamers are coming together in a shared ecosystem.

“I personally view the rise of TON and Telegram and crypto as related, not in the sense that their ethos and mission is aligned, but that they share an ethos on freedom, liberty, digital property rights and a decentralized mindset,” Siu said.

Game developers eye TON ecosystem

Michał Dąbrowski, CEO and founder of blockchain game infrastructure provider Elympics, believes Web3 games are primed to attract new cryptocurrency users.

Dąbrowski tells Cointelegraph that game developers have historically struggled with monetization mechanics. Blockchain-based infrastructure bridges this gap, allowing studios to use cryptocurrency wallets to incentivize and engage players.

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Elympics sees huge potential in the TON ecosystem, which is intrinsically tied to Telegram’s massive user base. It’s infrastructure is geared toward helping studios and developers deploy Web3 games on these platforms.

“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.

The Elympics CEO adds that Web3 functionality is reinvigorating the idle gaming genre. Soft currencies, which are earned by players in the game, are now being monetized, giving users ownership and value from their time spent playing.

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