The growing popularity of clicker games on the Telegram platform, such as Notcoin and Hamster Kombat, has captured the attention of not only users but also major market players, including Binance. Notcoin's founder, Sasha Plotvinov, explained why large budgets are no longer necessary to build a massive audience in the world of crypto gaming.
Plotvinov points out that the Telegram platform offers unique opportunities for rapid growth with minimal costs. While acquiring one user in the crypto space can cost up to $15, with a Telegram game, it costs less than $1. This levels the playing field for all market participants, allowing even newcomers to gain millions of users in a short time.
Telegram games actively utilize the TON blockchain, which, though not officially part of Telegram, has long been associated with it. According to TonStat, since the launch of the TON Space wallet in September 2023, nearly 23 million new wallets have been activated. At its peak, TON reached more than 11 million active addresses per month, putting it on par with Ethereum.
However, Plotvinov warns that the "tap-to-earn" model, where players participate for the sake of earning money, is unsustainable. That’s why Notcoin is already diversifying its content by launching new games like Lost Dogs, and the recent Not Pixel” attracted 17 million users in just a few weeks.
Speaking of setbacks, one can’t ignore the rise and fall of the much-hyped Hamster Kombat. The project initially gathered a record audience, running one of the most successful social media campaigns for subscriber and player engagement. However, after its listing, it failed to remain a favorite, showing a market cap of $224M compared to Notcoin’s peak of $2.4B (currently around $793M).
