Play-to-earn
(P2E)
games
quickly
came
on
the
scene,
but
they
failed.
Why?
P2E
games
tried
to
bring
gamers
into
crypto,
which
we’ve
all
learned
is
not
the
key
to
trust
nor
mass
adoption.
Instead,
the
focus
has
shifted.
Give
crypto-enthusiasts
what
they
want:
a
way
to
earn
crypto
quickly
and
easily.
While
traditional
P2E
models
often
require
complex
gameplay
and
significant
time
investments,
so-called
“Tap-to-Earn”
games
offer
a
more
accessible
and
engaging
approach.
By
utilizing
the
social
layers,
such
as
Telegram,
that
live
at
the
hands
of
consumers
and
tap
into
(no
pun
intended)
where
people
already
spend
their
time,
a
window
into
mass
adoption
has
opened,
intentionally
or
not.
This
op-ed
is
part
of
CoinDesk’s
GameFi
Theme
Week.
Over
the
last
three
months,
210
million
people
have
become
CEOs
of
a
simulated
crypto
exchange
in
Hamster
Kombat,
a
viral
clicker
game
in
Telegram.
Other
successful
Tap-to-Earns
have
relatively
lower
yet
still
remarkable
numbers
for
Web3
gaming:
TapSwap
boasts
50
million
total
users,
and
in
under
one
month,
Yescoin
surpassed
26
million
active
players.
These
stats
resemble
traditional
Web2
games,
yet
these
games
represent
the
center
of
mass
adoption
at
the
heart
of
the
Web3
ecosystem
in
Telegram.
Mini
apps
drive
adoption
Telegram
Mini
Apps
are
one
of
the
narratives
or
rather
engines
of
this
adoption
cycle,
and
the
Tap-to-Earn
trend
seems
to
have
become
its
main
fuel.
Though
mid-core
Telegram
games
like
Gatto
or
fantasy
sports
games
like
Fanton
have
shown
good
progress
too,
their
user
bases
remain
limited
compared
to
the
clicker
giants.
It
all
started
with
Notcoin,
which
managed
to
attract
over
40
million
players
since
its
launch
on
New
Year’s
Day
2024.
11.5
million
of
these
became
Web3
users
by
claiming
Notcoin
($NOT)
tokens
after
its
listing
on
Binance,
OKX,
and
other
top-tier
exchanges.
Their
strategy
was
genius
and
it’s
since
been
adopted
by
other
viral
apps
like
PixelTap.
Here
is
the
process:
start
with
completely
off-chain
gameplay
to
avoid
user
friction,
capture
as
many
players
as
possible
through
incentives
and
referrals,
and
then
announce
an
upcoming
token
airdrop.
Other
strategies
have
worked
quite
well,
too.
Yescoin
and
Catizen
(a
popular
P2E
Telegram
Mini
App)
introduced
on-chain
mechanics
early
on.
Time
will
clarify
how
the
different
approaches
chosen
by
each
team
affect
conversion
and
retained
users,
especially
once
Hamster
Kombat,
TapSwap,
and
PixelTap
launch
their
tokens.
Catizen
and
Notcoin
boast
a
conversion
rate
from
an
off-chain
to
an
on-chain
user
of
7%
and
6.2%
respectively
–
much
higher
than
Telegram’s
0.6%
average.
Success
factors
What
is
the
secret
sauce
of
a
viral
Telegram
game?
The
obvious
simplicity
of
the
gameplay
(e.g.,
clicking
and
completing
easy
quest
tasks)
and
an
entertaining
game
progression
(e.g.,
finding
new
daily
card
combinations
or
ciphers
as
found
in
Hamster
Kombat)
is
a
major
reason
why
Tap-to-Earn
has
seen
incredible
growth
in
such
a
short
time
frame.
The
promise
of
community
airdrops
is
another
point
of
success
for
these
types
of
games.
Unlike
DeFi
protocols
or
Ethereum
L2s,
clicker
apps
do
not
require
any
complex
on-chain
actions,
and
Notcoin
provided
illustrative
proof
of
that.
Around
90%
of
the
token
supply
went
to
the
community
with
an
average
reward
per
wallet
reaching
$200,
according
to
the
Notcoin
team.
Catizen
promises
to
airdrop
42%
of
the
future
$CATI,
while
the
other
above-mentioned
apps
have
not
revealed
their
tokenomics
yet.
Another
essential
ingredient
of
success
is
leveraging
the
social
layer
and
encouraging
players
to
invite
friends
and
compete
in
squads
to
get
higher
rewards.
All
these
viral
apps
chose
TON’s
blockchain
which
can
be
explained
by
the
ease
of
onboarding
into
Telegram,
along
with
its
global
user
base
of
950
million,
the
technical
advantages
of
the
chain,
and
the
recent
success
of
Notcoin
on
top-tier
centralized
exchanges.
It
doesn’t
hurt
to
have
big
players
in
Web3
endorsing
this
strategy
as
well.
Prominent
Web3
gaming
studio
and
venture
capital
firm
Animoca
Brands
made
a
significant
bet
on
Telegram
and
is
now
choosing
TON
as
its
Web3
partner,
including
Animoca-owned
gaming
platform
GAMEE,
which
boasts
80
million-plus
users,
who
recently
announced
the
launch
of
their
token
on
TON
following
the
well-tested
practices
of
other
TON
projects.
Not
just
fun
and
games
Notably,
the
Tap-to-Earn
approach
is
being
adopted
by
applications
other
than
games.
A
hybrid
crypto
exchange
Blum
by
ex-Binance
top
managers
started
with
a
simple
clicker
and
Quest-to-Earn
mechanism
and
managed
to
attract
30
million
users
before
launching
the
core
product
functionality.
This
is
an
indication
that
Tap-to-Earn
is
essentially
viewed
as
an
effective
onboarding
tool
and
lucrative
revenue
source.
Many
reasonably
question
the
sustainability
of
the
Tap-to-Earn
trend
as
well
as
the
quality
of
the
attracted
traffic.
How
teams
will
manage
to
educate
and
retain
the
user
and
offer
long-term
value
remains
an
open
question.
Some
plan
to
act
as
game
publishers
or
quest
platforms,
while
others
promise
to
deliver
e-commerce
or
trading
products.
Notcoin
has
succeeded
in
keeping
its
on-chain
metrics
on
a
decent
level,
sustaining
the
status
of
the
largest
meme
coin
by
the
number
of
on-chain
token
holders
–
almost
2.5
million.
In
2024,
users
feel
that
the
apps
and
games
deserving
of
their
attention
are
those
that
reward
everyone
for
their
sweat
equity,
time
and
attention.
Only
time
will
tell
how
high
the
cat
(or
hamster)
jumps.
Telegram
and
TON
remain
open
to
all
game
types
and
genres,
but
mass
adoption
will
apparently
be
driven
by
a
modest
few.
One
truth
has
become
self-evident
—
the
next
industry
giant
is
only
a
few
taps
away.
Note:
The
views
expressed
in
this
column
are
those
of
the
author
and
do
not
necessarily
reflect
those
of
CoinDesk,
Inc.
or
its
owners
and
affiliates.
