Telegram mini-apps are micro applications that can be accessed inside Telegram. Among other functions, they allow you to play games, including tap-to-earn crypto games, via the popular messaging app. The platform is integrated with the TON blockchain and has seen increasing virality in 2024. This beginner’s guide breaks down the details around these trending mini-apps.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Telegram mini-apps are simple applications that run inside the Telegram messenger.
• Mini-apps can integrate with the TON blockchain, facilitating easy web3 onboarding for many.
• While the popular applications are most often play-to-earn, they can also be e-commerce, VPNs, dating related, or any other type of app.
- What are Telegram mini-apps?
- Why are mini-apps popular?
- How do Telegram mini-apps work?
- Telegram mini-app features
- Pros of Telegram mini-apps
- Cons of Telegram mini-apps
- Top 5 Telegram mini-apps to earn crypto
- 1. Notcoin
- 2. Hamster Kombat
- 3. OKX Racer
- 4. Zavod
- 5. City Holder
- How to start using Telegram mini-apps
- Beware of risks and scams
- Frequently asked questions
What are Telegram mini-apps?
Telegram mini-apps are Javascript-based applications that launch directly within the social messenger. Telegram users can easily access these mini-apps inside the main Telegram app.
By serving as the interface for these mini-apps, Telegram allows businesses to offer app-like experiences right within its messenger. Some of the popular categories of these mini-apps include:
- Clicker games
- E-commerce apps
- Dating apps
- VPNs
- Cloud mining apps
- Decentralized exchanges (DEX)
Telegram launched its Mini App Store in early August 2024. The store integrates with the platform’s new “Stars” feature. The approach aims to entice new users and social interaction. Users gift Stars to friends, who can then explore more than 1000 different mini-apps that integrate these Stars.
Thanks to Telegram’s more than 950 million users, these mini-apps have a pool of users that they can port over with the click of a button. Some of the most popular mini-apps with large fan followings are Hamster Kombat, with 300+ million users; Catizen, with 27+ million users; and Notcoin, having amassed 40+ million users in just six months since its launch on Jan. 1, 2024.
Why are mini-apps popular?
Many successful mini-apps are casual games that require little concentration. According to a study by Liftoff, hyper-casual games are the most commonly installed type of game on mobile.
The simplistic nature of casual mini-app games, along with the integration of crypto rewards, has proved a successful formula for bringing new users to web3.
Catizen introduced millions of people to blockchain, because it uses TON-based smart contracts for its in-game rewards. Their team also built tools for other developers to easily launch their games on Telegram and TON.
Pavel Du Rove, Telegram CEO via Telegram
How do Telegram mini-apps work?
In a nutshell, the average Telegram mini-app works like this:
- The user launches a Telegram mini-app within a Telegram channel or conversation. The app is loaded in a web view.
- The mini-app uses the Telegram APIs to access the user’s data, like their name, ID, or profile picture.
- It then communicates with backend servers to fetch data or process requests.
- The mini-app updates its interface based on the user’s actions.
- Mini-apps can also initiate transactions using the Telegram payments API and the user’s preferred payment method.
Telegram mini-app features
There are a few distinct features that distinguish Telegram mini-apps from traditional mobile or web apps. Some of these key features include:
Simple user interface and mechanics
As the name implies, mini-apps are lightweight and simple. Take Whale by Wirex, a tap-to-earn game.
As you can see, the user interface is very simple. The app launches inside Telegram, so there is no need to download anything. Many gaming mini-apps use a basic tap-to-earn model where you can earn rewards by tapping the screen.
Some mini-apps may slightly deviate from this model by incorporating a different mechanism (e.g., swipe-to-earn), but the premise remains essentially the same. This basic nature extends to games and other applications.
Mini-apps are typically minimalist, don’t clog the screen, are highly intuitive, and require zero technical skill or understanding.
Play-to-earn
Many mini-apps are part of the broader GameFi ecosystem as they incorporate a play-to-earn model. These apps typically offer incentives such as in-game currencies, discounts, and power-ups that offer quick rewards and instant gratification.
Many of these games, such as Notcoin, have also introduced their own digital currencies and offer free tokens via referral programs and airdrops to attract users. In-game assets can also sometimes be converted into cryptocurrency.
Payment gateways
Typically, launching a new website, such as an e-commerce store, involves finding a hosting provider and payment processors like PayPal or Stripe. Telegram offers a comparable but more convenient tool suite.
With its easy-to-use framework, you can “host” your website on Telegram with ease and at a comparatively low cost. These mini-apps can function as full-fledged e-commerce stores with a wide range of products.
Customers can pay using traditional methods like Google and Apple Pay or cryptos such as TON.
Integration with TON blockchain
While not all apps may utilize the window to web3, one of the most bullish use cases for Telegram mini-apps is their ability to integrate with the TON blockchain. Developers can launch their own cryptocurrencies or accept crypto payments within their mini-apps. Moreover, they can also access the blockchain’s computational resources for tasks such as storing data or running smart contracts. Decentralized exchanges like Blum are good examples of this.
Meanwhile, some developers may also choose to use the TON blockchain just for secure record-keeping of account activity and transactions (without necessarily issuing a token).
Pros of Telegram mini-apps
Key benefits of Telegram mini-apps include:
1. Convenience
The most obvious benefit of Telegram mini-apps is that everything is accessible right within the messenger’s familiar interface. You don’t need to switch between apps, and you don’t have to download anything other than the Telegram app itself. This also helps you save storage space on your device.
2. Faster performance
Mini-apps are small in size and optimized accordingly. This makes them load faster and operate more smoothly compared to the average traditional app.
3. Financial incentives
Many mini-apps offer incentives to encourage user engagement. These may include rewards like loyalty points, exclusive discounts, virtual goods, or even tangible benefits such as coupons, cashback, and cryptocurrencies.
4. Security
In addition to the app’s secure end-to-end encryption, users also have the option to use additional protection, such as two-factor authentication and app lock, to keep their data and transactions safe.
5. Better revenue sharing
From a developer’s perspective, one of the biggest benefits of launching an app on Telegram is the platform’s revenue-sharing model. For perspective, Apple App Store and Google Play typically take a 30% cut of app sales and in-app purchases. Google offers a lower 15% fee for smaller developers.
However, Telegram has a different approach. It only takes half of the ad revenue from Telegram channels and lets app creators keep all money from in-app purchases.
Cons of Telegram mini-apps
Mini-apps have many benefits, so it’s no wonder they have become so popular. But they are not without their share of drawbacks.
1. No access to hardware capabilities
Telegram mini-apps are designed for simplicity and quick access, but this approach means they may lack certain advanced features found in traditional apps. For instance, they can not access your device’s hardware. This means that to use services that require access to your device’s hardware — VPNs, for example — you will need to have another app or website working in tandem with the mini-app.
2. Risk of malicious apps
Although Telegram has an Apps Center where you can explore and discover mini-apps, it lacks a stringent vetting process to detect malicious apps. Therefore, it is possible for unsuspecting users to choose phishing apps instead of official ones unknowingly. Always double-check all links and ensure you proceed with caution when interacting with the social messenger or any of its mini-apps.
3. Blockchain and smart contract risks
There are also certain blockchain-related hazards. While greater web3 adoption is positive, new users are exposed to risks associated with custodial crypto wallets and smart contract failures.
Top 5 Telegram mini-apps to earn crypto
Here are some of the top crypto Telegram mini-apps that allow you to earn crypto.
1. Notcoin
Notcoin is one of the most well known tap-to-earn clicker games. The game was officially launched on Jan 1, 2024 and took around six months to register 40 million users.
The gameplay of Notcoin is as simple as it gets — you just open the mini-app on Telegram and tap on a virtual coin to start earning NOT, the in-game asset. The objective is to accumulate as many NOT tokens as you can.
Several leading crypto exchanges have listed NOT tokens, including Binance, OKX, and Bybit.
2. Hamster Kombat
Hamster Kombat is another play-to-earn clicker game. Players act as the hamster CEO of a crypto exchange and earn the in-game asset HMSTR by tapping digital hamsters on the screen. The game has more than 300 million users as of August 2024, around one-third of the total number of Telegram users (950M).
Developed by the OKX exchange, OKX Racer is a Telegram mini-app that allows you to predict the price of Bitcoin. In return, players receive points. With correct guesses, a multiplier is added, earning you more points. You can also earn more from referrals.
Zavod takes place in a virtual factory where your character is employed. When you perform tasks, upgrade your equipment, and increase your rank, you earn the in-game currency $ZP.
5. City Holder
City Holder is a build-to-earn game where you manage a virtual city. You must determine which buildings to construct to attract residents to your virtual city. The gameplay involves players competing against other players around the globe to earn $CITY tokens.
| App | Token | Developer | Referral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notcoin | NOT | Open Builders | NOT for referrers and friends |
| Hamster Kombat | HMSTR | (Anonymous) | HMSTR for referrers and friends |
| OKX Racer | Points (no token) | OKX | 20% of referral claims |
| Zavod | $ZP | Mars DAO | NOT for referrers and friends |
| City Holder | $CITY | Slava Semenchuk | 20% of referral claims |
How to start using Telegram mini-apps
Fortunately, getting started with mini-apps is straightforward — you only need to follow a few simple steps.
1. Open the app store for your device and navigate to the search bar.
2. Search for Telegram in the search bar and press install.
3. Open the app and select the “Start Messaging” button.
4. Enter a valid phone number to connect the app to your phone.
5. Open the search bar and find a Telegram mini-app.
If you struggle to find specific mini-apps, the Telegram Apps Center can be a good starting point. It features popular apps and categorizes them by use cases for easy discovery. This makes it easy to understand each app’s purpose without requiring extensive research.
Beware of risks and scams
Emerging blockchain trends have often been laden with hype only to fizzle out quickly, so it’s still too early to predict what the future holds for crypto-related Telegram mini-apps. However, these apps have already achieved a great feat by successfully onboarding millions of users into the web3 ecosystem.
Notably, the exponential growth detailed in this guide has also made the mini-app ecosystem a fertile ground for scams and fraudulent activities. Telegram itself is already well known for hosting its fair share of malicious actors. So, tread extremely carefully whenever you interact with any mini-app, especially those involving financial transactions.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, many of the most popular Telegram mini-apps offer crypto-based rewards. The mechanics for earning rewards are often simple. Users often earn these by completing simple tasks within the app, and they typically need a crypto wallet to store their earnings.
Telegram mini-apps are typically integrated with the TON blockchain. However, mini-apps simply use Telegram as a front-end interface. Therefore, it is possible to create a mini-app that connects with Ethereum instead of TON.
To access Telegram mini-apps, you’ll need a Telegram account. This requires a valid phone number to verify your identity. Once your account is set up, you can start exploring Telegram channels that host mini-apps.
Search for the app’s bot username within the Telegram app. Once found, start a chat with the bot and then follow the bot’s instructions to activate the mini-app. You can access the mini-app through this chat window at any time.
As of August 2024, Telegram lacks a stringent verification processes for the mini-apps on its platform (unlike, say, Apple has for its App Store). That is why it is still possible to unknowingly use malicious apps instead of official ones. So, tread extremely carefully while interacting with any mini-app that involves financial transactions.
The best Telegram mini-apps for crypto beginners are ones with simple mechanics, like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin. These apps only require simple actions like tapping and swiping. Users can easily accumulate rewards by performing these simple actions.
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