What clicker boom on TON reveals about crypto games, players, and platforms

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Telegram is no longer just a chat app; it’s a thriving crypto ecosystem with its own blockchain, games, and audience. With nearly a billion users, Telegram’s endorsement of The Open Network as its “official web3 infrastructure” is driving an explosion of blockchain-based mini-apps within the platform, engaging and rewarding players in unprecedented ways.

The achievements are staggering: Notcoin has taken social media by storm, built a community of 35 million, Hamster Kombat is preparing to list its token, and BANANA has reached five million users in three weeks. And it’s all happening inside Telegram.

The rapid rise of TON clicker games demonstrates the powerful combination of massive user bases and incentive-driven gaming. It’s a testament to the power of gaming addiction, user rewards, and platform versatility on the web3. And the most exciting part? This is just the beginning.

Leveraging profits: How TON motivates players

You’ve probably heard a lot about TON and Telegram in recent months. The excitement centers around how the platform has attracted hundreds of millions of new players through its gaming power. Hamster Kombat is a good example, attracting over 150 million players to complete missions and earn in-game currency.

The clicker concept is deceptively simple yet incredibly engaging. Players tap the screen to earn in-game tokens, which in Hamster Kombat they can deposit into a cryptocurrency exchange run by a fictional hamster. The game encourages constant play through daily combos and rewards for referring friends, creating a powerful feedback loop of engagement, social interaction, and potential real-world earnings.

On this last point, the game follows in the footsteps of Notcoin. Six months after its release, the TON clicker game took the groundbreaking step of introducing its in-game token to real-world exchanges. The result? Some dedicated players found themselves earning several hundred dollars for their efforts. The move not only validated the play-to-earn model, but also blurred the lines between virtual achievements and tangible financial rewards.

TON’s answer to the challenges of the gaming world

TON gaming has been on a roll this year, with the coin’s market cap increasing parabolically. According to DefiLlama, ecosystem activity began to skyrocket in late February, with the total value locked (TVL) doubling between April and May, and then doubling again between May and July.

This rapid growth comes at a critical time for the industry. Mobile gaming has seen two years of diminishing returns despite accounting for nearly half of global gaming revenue, while the costs associated with acquiring new users continue to rise.

TON answers some of these issues for game developers and publishers. By leveraging Telegram’s massive user base, TON provides a near-built-in community of gamers and lowers user acquisition costs. What’s more, TON’s infrastructure not only attracts players, but also exposes information on-chain for remarketing and community building.

This data-driven approach opens up new possibilities for player engagement and monetization. Platforms like CARV take this a step further by developing modular data layers that allow players to own, control, and monetize their gaming data. This synergy between accessible gaming platforms and user-centric data solutions points to a future where players don’t just play and win, they actually own their digital footprint.

Going forward, tools that encourage easier access to broad audiences and long-term engagement, combined with emerging data ownership models, make a compelling case for continued growth.

There are some challenges for Telegram to overcome, such as improved ad platform access and better tech support for developers, but overall there’s a lot to like about this evolution in gaming.

Redefining platforms: Telegram’s gaming revolution

Blockchain is redefining the concept of a gaming platform, and Telegram and TON are at the forefront of this revolution. Telegram’s mini apps exemplify this transformation by keeping users engaged on the platform while playing games supported by seamless authorization, integrated crypto and fiat payments, and custom push notifications.

If the current momentum and infrastructure buildout continue, industry insiders are making bold comparisons. They liken Telegram today to Facebook in 2008 and WeChat in 2018—online ecosystems on the verge of explosive growth. Investors appear to share that assessment.

In August, HashKey Group announced a partnership with Telegram mini-app Catizen to develop gaming products and “global digital entertainment infrastructure.” In the same month, TON Ventures launched with $40 million in funding and plans to invest in early-stage consumer apps in the TON ecosystem.

The best part? This is just the beginning

Ask game creators and gamers what they’re excited about in this space, and most will tell you the same thing: This is just the beginning. Despite record-breaking engagement, multimillion-dollar games, and impressive engagement numbers, there’s still room to grow.

Telegram has around 900 million monthly active users and TON has around 6 million monthly active wallets. This is a huge gap that is open to exploitation. It must be said that the platform is doing the right things to remove barriers and encourage adoption. For example, the app introduced Telegram Stars in June, enabling in-app purchases to buy and sell digital goods. Additionally, by introducing wallet functionality to buy, trade, and transfer crypto on Telegram, web3 is quietly entering the pockets of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Some may be skeptical of the clicker boom. After all, these are simple games with simple mechanics. But there’s more to this than meets the eye. To me, this is a window into the future of digital interaction, where social media, gaming, and finance are coming together to create entirely new paradigms of user engagement and value creation. The lines between crypto, gaming, and platforms aren’t just blurring, they’re disappearing entirely, and players aren’t just along for the ride, they’re in the driver’s seat.

Lion Li

Leo Li is CARV’s chief growth officer, leading operations, strategy, and outreach across departments. At CARV, a modular data layer built for gaming and AI, Leo oversees 800 official gaming partners and 11 million users, including eight million CARV identity holders. His leadership ensures the seamless integration and deployment of CARV’s suite of tools for user acquisition, engagement, and management. Prior to joining CARV, Leo held key roles as a publishing producer and operations manager at Electronic Arts, Garena, and Tencent. His extensive background includes global publishing of popular games including FIFA Online, Apex Legends Mobile, Arena of Valor, and more.