From Mini Games to Mini Programs: TON Capitalizes Telegram Traffic

TON is rapidly emerging. Unlike Solana who gains traction from the Meme sector in this bull run, TON excels in the Bot/Meme/Game arenas. With Telegram’s billion-level user base as its backbone, more developers from the TON ecosystem are now concentrating on the development of built-in mini-games.

The TON ecosystem encompasses various sectors, including CEX, DEX, wallets, NFTs, and more, particularly emphasizing gaming development. According to statistics, currently there are 189 projects in the Gaming sector within the TON ecosystem, second only to Jettons.

It is worth noting that TON’s mini-games may also be classified under NFT, Gambling, and other sectors. Therefore, calling TON a mini-game chain regarding sheer numbers is not inappropriate.

TON Mini-Games and Their Traffic

Mini-games on the TON chain attract many users through their unique design and features. For example, the task confirmation signature and payment methods within the games allow Web2 users to seamlessly transit to Web3, enhancing their engagement with the TON ecosystem. Additionally, these games leverage the unique advantages of blockchain technology, such as decentralization and programmability, to introduce more innovative gameplay and possibilities.

Contrary to common perception, TON’s focus on mini-game development is aimed at something other than Web3 users. Instead, it seeks to introduce Web2 users to Web3 in a simple and easy-to-learn manner, using TON as their on-chain playground.

Take two popular mini-games on the TON chain, Notcoin and Catizen, as examples. Both games have over 10 million daily active users. Notcoin, a simple screen-tapping game, has captured the attention of the entire crypto community. Its successful launch has prompted a reevaluation of Telegram ecosystem within the crypto world. Meanwhile, Catizen, a mini-game platform featuring cartoon cats, has over 7 million users and more than 1 million daily active users already.

TON mini-games are not only entertaining but also attract a large number of users through various engagements and reward mechanisms. For example, Catizen requires players to memorize hourly automatic earnings and accumulate tokens to upgrade levels in designated areas. This design not only enhances user engagement but also increases the game’s entertainment and engagement.

The rise of the TON game ecosystem is closely linked to its sophisticated underlying design. Specifically, TON uses the Fift smart contract language, providing developers with powerful features and flexibility.

TON has also introduced the Jetton standard, similar to Ethereum’s ERC-20 and ERC-721, for creating tokens and other digital assets. This standard underpins the virtual item trading and economic system within mini-games.

Gameplay Examples

Notcoin is a simple click-to-earn game with the complexity of a piece of paper. Yet, its earning potential and simplicity have sparked a storm in regions like Iran, reminiscent of the Play to Earn model during the pandemic in countries like the Philippines and Vietnam.

Players join the Notcoin bot on Telegram (@notcoin_bot) and click the Notcoin icon on the screen to earn Notcoin, the game’s virtual currency. Players can also accelerate to level up by clicking the rocket icon on the screen and using Notcoin to increase mining limits or speed up on the Boost page.

Notcoin has also introduced team and league modes:

• Squad Mode: Players can form squads to mine Notcoin together. Joining a squad earns players a reward, and squad features may expand to more interaction and cooperation access.
• League Mode: The game has five league levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Players automatically advance to higher leagues and receive rewards upon reaching certain point thresholds. Notably, league points are calculated based solely on the number of clicks.

Thanks to its simple “click to earn” mechanism, Notcoin has rapidly attracted a large user base, with over 30 million users. Considering Telegram’s billion-user base, Notcoin’s conversion rate is around 3%, which is comparable to super app conversion rates in Web2.

Other Popular Mini-Games on TON

In addition to Notcoin, two other highly popular mini-games on the TON chain are Hamster Kombat and Catizen:

• Hamster Kombat: A Tap-to-Earn mini-game where players earn coins by clicking on hamsters as the CEO of a cryptocurrency exchange. The game also includes additional reward mechanisms, such as inviting friends and unlocking daily Morse code tasks. Its simple and fun gameplay, combined with high user engagement, including social media, has garnered nearly 9 million followers on Twitter and over 40 million on Telegram.
• Catizen: A match-three game featuring cartoon cats, incorporating metaverse, GameFi, and AI. It introduces a revolutionary Play2Airdrop model, allowing players to earn future airdrops by playing the game. With over 7 million users and more than 1 million daily active users, Catizen has also generated over $10 million in revenue through in-game purchases.

With TON’s dedicated support, various mini-game have developed rapidly. However, these are relatively simple mini-games similar to WeChat’s early “Jump Jump” game.

TON’s future will draw inspiration from the development of super APPs like WeChat, aiming to integrate more products within TON and Telegram, creating a one-stop Web3 platform.

Mini Apps: TON’s Future

Based on the development of mini-games on TON, the focus will shift to various built-in mini-programs rather than conventional on-chain financial products like DeFi and GameFi. This does not mean that TON will give up the above sectors; instead, their path will differ from that of other public chains.

Regarding interaction, TON’s mini-programs are more like bot variants, ready to use and deeply integrated with Telegram, eliminating the need for complex wallet creation and private key storage. TON emphasizes user experience and diversity, aiming for large-scale adoption and being more friendly to Web2 developers.

Mini-programs in the TON ecosystem have shown high acceptance, becoming a critical factor in its explosive growth. As of June 2024, the number of on-chain wallets on TON has exceeded 9 million, with over 2,000 scheduled projects in the mini-program store. These mini-programs, similar to WeChat mini-programs, allow users to conduct various operations, such as buying and selling cryptocurrencies, making payments, and more, without leaving the application.

In summary, through deep integration with Telegram, TON leverages its strong social attributes and vast user base to build an ecosystem similar to the Web3 version of WeChat, the Chinese super app. This combination enhances user experience and enables decentralized applications through proprietary bots, further driving the development of the TON ecosystem.