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The success of NotCoin has been hard to overlook in the world of cryptocurrency gaming — but it might just be the start. Hamster Kombat, another game on the Telegram platform, is flying to mass adoption ahead of its incoming crypto token release.
The Hamster Kombat mini app on Telegram has already garnered more than 150 million players across Telegram’s The Open Network (TON). The surge represents a 50% increase from the start of June when the game celebrated reaching 100 million users.
To put the numbers into perspective, it suggests nearly one in five Telegram users have signed up for Hamster Kombat. This could spell great things for the future price of Hamster Kombat.
gm ????
it’s probably nothing pic.twitter.com/ORsQORsnSs
— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) June 14, 2024
The success of Hamster and NotCoin comes amid growing popularity of Telegram-based tap-to-earn games. These games, which let users earn in-game currency primarily through tapping a button, have become the latest trend in the crypto space.
What is Hamster Kombat?
The game revolves around building a hamster’s virtual crypto exchange, and players earn points within the game to make them eligible for a token airdrop scheduled for July.
Notably, Hamster Kombat operates as a mini-app within Telegram, eliminating the need for additional downloads.
The popularity of Hamster Kombat extends beyond the Telegram platform. The game’s YouTube channel boasts an impressive 23 million subscribers, while its X account has attracted 7.7 million followers, both experiencing significant growth in the past week.
dear @MrBeast, we have something to say ?? https://t.co/ZrfeEWWqFN pic.twitter.com/RqelWLu0Wi
— Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) June 14, 2024
The game’s success can be attributed to its unique approach, where players take on the role of a fuzzy hamster CEO in charge of a rising crypto exchange. By investing in upgrades, players can grow their exchange and earn more passive in-game income over time.
Its predecessor, NotCoin, also played a vital role in paving the way for the success of Hamster Kombat. NotCoin, also a Telegram game backed by cryptocurrency, gained a devoted following through its token airdrop mechanism, generating significant excitement among players.
Launched on the mainnet less than six months ago, NotCoin became a phenomenon, attracting around 35 million players who earned the NOT token with a market capitalization exceeding $2 billion.
While NotCoin has temporarily retired its classic tapping gameplay, it continues to offer passive earning opportunities through in-game missions that educate players about other projects and the TON ecosystem. The game has plans to evolve into a platform similar to Netflix, offering a variety of token-fueled social games in the future.
Other Popular Telegram Games
Aside from NotCoin and Hamster, some other play-to-earn games on Telegram have also been generating buzz. One notable game is Catizen, which offers a unique twist compared to other games on this list.
Instead of the usual tapping gameplay, Catizen draws inspiration from puzzle games like Threes and 2049. Players pair and merge similar cats, gradually earning more coins. Catizen boasts over 20 million players and has plans to launch on both TON and Ethereum’s layer-2 network, Mantle.
TapSwap, on the other hand, closely resembles the previous version of Notcoin before it paused gameplay in anticipation of the airdrop. It revolves around tapping a golden coin, although players can invest in upgrades for passive earnings or to earn more coins per tap.
While it may seem simple, TapSwap has already attracted around 50 million players and has announced plans to launch its token on The Open Network.
Yescoin also takes inspiration from Notcoin, but it introduces a swiping gameplay mechanic. Players swipe over little pixel coins that appear on the screen to claim them. Periodically, a treasure chest reveals a cascade of coins, adding to the excitement.
While Yescoin doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, its unique twist and cool vibe make it worth keeping an eye on before the TON token airdrop. Currently, the game is not playable on iOS devices, as the team is making changes to support Telegram’s new TON-linked Stars in-app currency, but it is expected to return soon.
Finally, PixelTap by Pixelverse combines clicker and combat elements. This mini app allows players to earn in-game coins and use them to purchase and upgrade robots for battles. PixelTap serves as a precursor to a larger cyberpunk-themed exploration and crafting game that Pixelverse is developing.
Telegram’s TON Surpasses Ethereum in DAA
Telegram’s blockchain TON has been outperforming Ethereum in terms of daily active addresses (DAAs) throughout this month.
In a recent post on X, Delphi Digital, a prominent firm, highlighted TON’s impressive growth and pointed out that its DAAs have surpassed Ethereum. The firm attributed the surge to Telegram’s massive user base of 900 million.
Delphi Digital referred to it as “The Flippening CT ignores” and emphasized that TON’s success relies on Telegram’s wide distribution. However, they also raised questions about whether this growth can be sustained long-term to permanently surpass Ethereum.
The Flippening CT ignores ??
TON's quiet growth, fueled by Telegram's 900M user base, has driven its daily active addresses above Ethereum.
At its core, TON is a bet on Telegram's distribution. Though the ecosystem is nascent, its early growth is promising. But is it enough? pic.twitter.com/k2b2SMiQJD
— Delphi Digital (@Delphi_Digital) June 10, 2024
Artemis, which defines DAAs as the number of unique wallets engaging in daily transactions on a blockchain, has been closely monitoring the competition between TON and Ethereum since May 17.
TON gained an advantage in early June, surpassing Ethereum on 10 out of the 11 days so far. On June 3, TON set a record with 568,300 DAAs, a level that Ethereum hasn’t reached since September 13, 2023.
The Bottom Line
Hamster Kombat has exceeded 150 million players, with nearly one in five Telegram users participating, and is a testament to how quickly a sensation can catch when it hits the right viral wave.
The game, which involves building a virtual crypto exchange and offering token airdrops, is supported by a strong social media presence, including 23 million YouTube subscribers and 7.7 million X followers—and it might only be beginning.
