TLDR
- Telegram has reached 950 million monthly active users, up from 900 million in spring.
- The surge in users is largely attributed to the popularity of crypto games on the platform.
- Games like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat have attracted millions of players.
- These games often use The Open Network (TON) blockchain, which Telegram originally created.
- Many new crypto games are emerging on Telegram, with some planning to launch their own tokens.
Telegram, the popular messaging app, has seen a significant increase in its user base, reaching 950 million monthly active users.
This growth, announced by Telegram’s founder and CEO Pavel Durov, represents a jump from 900 million users earlier this spring. The rapid expansion is largely due to the rising 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.
In May 2024, this promise was fulfilled when Notcoin launched its NOT token on the TON blockchain, supported by major cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance and OKX.
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.
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.
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