The gaming landscape is shifting beneath our feet, but not where most were looking. While many awaited the next blockbuster game to catapult blockchain gaming into the mainstream, a quieter revolution has been unfolding on Telegram through its integrated blockchain, TON.
Telegram, primarily known as a messaging app, has seen its gaming sector thrive with the advent of Web3 technologies. The platform’s TON blockchain recently eclipsed Ethereum in daily active users, a testament to its growing appeal. The tap-to-earn game Hamster Kombat, for instance, boasts a staggering 158 million accounts. Though these might not all represent unique players, they indicate significant engagement.
Earlier this June, another tap-to-earn game, Notcoin, hit the headlines by reaching a $1 billion market cap, spurred by its crypto rewards system. Animoca Brands’ Gamee platform on Telegram also reported impressive growth, with over 2.5 million users joining its group following the launch of the Wat Protocol. This new feature rewards users with WatPoints for various activities, including staking tokens and playing games.
Pixelverse added to the momentum by securing a $5.5 million funding round for its tap-to-earn game, PixelTap, further highlighting the sector’s potential.
Despite the surge in user numbers and financial backing, the reality of gaming on Telegram includes significant challenges. The design of these tap-to-earn games makes them susceptible to bot activity, which could skew true engagement metrics. Moreover, the utility and long-term value of the tokens earned through these games are less clear, especially when compared to more established blockchain games that integrate tokenization more meaningfully into their ecosystems.
Nonetheless, the TON Foundation’s TON token has become a top 10 cryptocurrency, underpinning a network that now hosts 120 games across various genres, including MMORPGs. This broad and active participation might not be groundbreaking on its own, but it certainly raises questions about whether mass adoption of blockchain gaming is already upon us, just in a form different from what many had anticipated.
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