Market
Why Telegram’s Tap-to-Earn Segment Is Winning Investors
The rapid rise of tap-to-earn games on Telegram, powered by The Open Network (TON) blockchain, has attracted significant attention — and funding — from venture capitalists. Investors are making substantial bets on Telegram’s tap-to-earn games like Notcoin, Hamster Kombat, and Catizen, seeing them as the future of Web3 gaming.
But what exactly is driving these investment decisions, and how do investors envision the future of tap-to-earn? BeInCrypto recently interviewed Animoca Brands, one of the biggest TON validators, and Hashkey Capital, which has made significant investments and formed partnerships with Catizen.
Investors Eye Social Experiences as the Future of Tap-to-Earn Games
Undeniably, one of the key reasons venture capitalists are drawn to Telegram’s tap-to-earn ecosystem is its vast and engaged user base. With 950 million active users as of July 2024, the platform offers an unparalleled audience for developers looking to launch and scale games. This kind of organic reach dramatically reduces user acquisition costs, which is a major selling point for investors.
Furthermore, its crypto-native infrastructure sets Telegram apart from other platforms in the Web3 gaming space. The integration of TON blockchain allows for seamless transactions, reducing friction between the gaming experience and the user’s wallet. This ease of use is a significant draw for both developers and investors, as it allows instant monetization without the hurdles typically associated with blockchain adoption.
“Telegram is one of the few platforms where Web3 mechanics are baked into the experience. The ability to move from gameplay to crypto transactions without leaving the app is a huge competitive edge,” Junbo Yang, Investment Manager at Hashkey Capital, explains.
For investors, this integrated experience makes Telegram a prime candidate for further investment. The platform’s low transaction fees, scalability, and growing list of mini-apps ensure that developers can continue to innovate and retain users without the technical barriers that often plague Web3 adoption.
As TON ecosystem and tap-to-earn games grow, investors remain optimistic about the future of this segment. For instance, Hamster Kombat alone has attracted over 300 million users across 190 countries, with its upcoming HMSTR airdrop poised to be one of the largest in the crypto space.
Read more: What Is Hamster Kombat?
Meanwhile, Catizen has successfully built a loyal user base while optimizing its monetization strategy. Likewise, Notcoin attracted over 40 million global users and executed one of the year’s largest airdrops, solidifying its position as a key player in TON ecosystem.
Both Hashkey Capital and Animoca Brands see the success of these games as just the beginning. They believe as developers improve game mechanics, they will also discover new ways to retain users, moving beyond simple rewards to social and immersive experiences.
Why Telegram Could Drive the Next Web3 Boom?
Furthermore, the investors view these games as a proof of concept, demonstrating the scalability of the tap-to-earn model and its ability to retain users beyond initial incentives. This success reveals significant potential for growth and expansion within the tap-to-earn sphere.
In a recent exclusive interview with BeInCrypto, Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, strongly advocated integrating blockchain gaming into Telegram. He sees that the built-in audience allows games to scale quickly without costly marketing campaigns—a crucial factor for venture capitalists eyeing high returns.
“The next 100 to 200 million users in Web3 will come from Telegram and its gaming ecosystem,” Siu remarks.
Investors are primarily focused on three factors: user acquisition, scalability, and retention. However, they are also particularly excited about the potential for long-term monetization. Catizen, for example, stands out for its ability to retain users and optimize their lifetime value (LTV), showcasing sustainable growth and a profitable tap-to-earn model.
Junbo Yang highlights how Catizen and similar games set the stage for future development by prioritizing monetization and long-term user engagement.
“The early success of Catizen in monetizing its user base offers a blueprint for how other developers can scale their games,” Yang notes.
These investors’ perspectives align with the game teams’ long-term visions. In an email to BeInCrypto, the Hamster Kombat team revealed their plan to evolve into a multi-game platform.
“After the first airdrop, we will launch the second season with a massive expansion, allowing players to choose from multiple games to play. This begins the transformation of Hamster Kombat from a game into a gaming platform, similar to how Valve moved on from launching cult-status games to Steam, the largest game marketplace for PCs,” they elaborated.
Turning Setbacks into Growth: Why Investors Remain Optimistic Despite TON’s Hiccups
While the tap-to-earn model has proven its ability to attract users, the key challenge is keeping them engaged beyond initial airdrops and rewards. Some critics have raised concerns about mercenary users—those who join games solely to earn tokens—but investors see this as a short-term challenge.
However, investors believe that as developers increasingly adopt the tap-to-earn model, they will also find ways to extend user lifecycles, enhancing its sustainability. Yat Siu believes that the tap-to-earn model, while currently reward-driven, is laying the foundation for a much larger gaming ecosystem.
“Tap-to-earn is just the beginning. Once users enter the ecosystem, the goal is to build community and social experiences that keep them engaged for reasons beyond just token rewards,” Siu argues.
In addition to the sustainability concerns, the Telegram ecosystem has faced recent challenges. For instance, earlier in August, BeInCrypto reported that TON blockchain experienced an outage, temporarily halting block production for several hours. This incident raised concerns about the network’s ability to handle future surges in activity, especially with the increasing number of users participating in tap-to-earn games.
Addressing the issue, Yat Siu acknowledged the outage but remained confident in TON’s resilience. Siu emphasized that TON is still in its early stages and believes that such challenges are part of the network’s growth process. He sees TON’s potential to become even larger than Telegram itself in the future, driving the platform’s growth.
“TON itself should remain as a censorship-resistant decentralized platform like other chains, but the projects and dApps themselves can implement measures to ensure stability,” he said.
Read more: Top 7 Telegram Tap-to-Earn Games to Play in 2024
Regardless of these challenges, venture capitalists remain confident in the potential of tap-to-earn. The coming years will reveal whether this model will secure its place as a lasting feature in Web3 gaming, but for now, investors are fully committed.
Disclaimer
Following the Trust Project guidelines, this feature article presents opinions and perspectives from industry experts or individuals. BeInCrypto is dedicated to transparent reporting, but the views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of BeInCrypto or its staff. Readers should verify information independently and consult with a professional before making decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Trump Media Files Trademark for Crypto Platform TruthFi
Trump Media & Technology Group is exploring the development of a crypto payment platform, as revealed by a recent trademark filing.
The application, submitted by Donald Trump’s social media company on Monday, outlines plans for a service named TruthFi. The proposed platform aims to offer crypto payments, financial custody, and digital asset trading.
Following the trademark announcement, Trump Media’s stock rose approximately 2%. At the time of writing, the stock was trading at $30.44, up by nearly 75% this year.
However, details about TruthFi remain scarce, including its timeline or operational specifics. This initiative suggests an effort by Trump Media to expand its business model beyond Truth Social.
The social media platform was established back in 2022, after Trump was banned from Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Nevertheless, launching a large-scale cryptocurrency platform could require Trump Media to acquire additional resources or partner with an established firm. This is because the firm currently has a small workforce of less than 40 employees.
“The filing, made with the USPTO on Monday, indicates that Trump Media plans to offer: Digital wallets, Cryptocurrency payment processing services, and A digital asset trading platform,” US Trademark Attorney Josh Gerben wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
As reported by BeInCrypto earlier, Trump Media is also in discussions to purchase the b2b crypto trading platform Bakkt. Shares in Bakkt surged by nearly 140% since the news earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the President-elect’s crypto plans seem to be in full swing even before he takes office in January. He is also reportedly considering the first-ever crypto advisor role for the White House, and interviewing several potential candidates.
Earlier today, the current SEC chair Gary Gensler announced his resignation before Trump’s term begins. Gensler’s resignation boosted the crypto market, as it signals a major change in the SEC’s regulatory stance.
Notably, XRP surged 7% to its highest value in three years. Bitcoin also neared $99,000, as the overall crypto market cap reached $3.4 trillion.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Banana Gun Rises After Justin Sun’s $6.2 Million Art Purchase
Justin Sun, founder of TRON and Poloniex CEO, has purchased the viral art piece Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall—for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s.
Following the purchase, Sun announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he plans to eat the artwork. This has ignited a frenzy of memes, commentary, and market reactions, even causing the crypto token Banana Gun to spike in value.
Crypto Reacts: Banana Gun on the Rise
Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian gained international fame in 2019 when it was first displayed at Art Basel Miami. Its simplicity and absurdity—a banana taped to a wall—sparked debates about the nature of art. The so-called artwork became viral when performance artist David Datuna ate it in a stunt dubbed Hungry Artist.
Sun’s pledge to eat the $6.2 million fruit has also drawn parallels, adding another layer of humor to the piece’s history. The Tron founder even said he’s willing to donate the banana to Elon Musk and send it to Mars.
Meanwhile, several users even recreated their own version of Comedian and shared it on social media. One fan followed up by taping bananas around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus, encouraging others to “tape all over the world” and start a movement.
What they are campaigning for, precisely, remains to be seen.
“In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture. Stay tuned,” Sun said on X.
The ripple effects of Sun’s purchase eventually trickled beyond the confines of art and humor and into crypto markets. The token Banana Gun, which shares its name with the theme, surged nearly 16% following the news. Traders and enthusiasts, ever attuned to cultural moments, appear to have seized the chance to capitalize on the buzz.
Sun’s acquisition and the banana’s virality bring to mind another recent development in the art-crypto nexus. Earlier this week, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin allegedly minted 400 Patron NFTs. This development sparked hopes of a resurgence for the NFT market.
This aged well…. $BANANA is an insane project. For me, this is in the same league as $ZIG. Fundamentals are truly insane. No matter which narrative will cook next, $BANANA will profit from it,” said one trader on X.
The combination of Sun’s high-profile purchase and the market’s reaction to Banana Gun demonstrates how art, humor, and technology continue to blur boundaries. Whether Sun’s banana-eating spectacle will leave a lasting impact or peel away (pun intended) into meme history, one thing is certain—the intersection of crypto and culture remains as unexpected as ever.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
Market
Cardano (ADA) Price Hits 41% Weekly Growth, $1 Target in Sight
Cardano (ADA) price has surged 41.89% in the last seven days, signaling strong bullish momentum in the market. The uptrend remains strong, supported by key technical indicators like the ADX and Ichimoku Cloud, which point to sustained positive sentiment.
However, signs of consolidation and narrowing gaps in short-term indicators suggest that the rally could face challenges if buying pressure weakens.
ADA Current Uptrend Is Still Strong
Cardano DMI chart shows an ADX of 42.7, indicating a strong trend. The metric has remained above 40 since November 7. This high ADX value confirms the robustness of ADA ongoing uptrend, signaling solid momentum behind the recent price movements.
With the positive directional index (D+) at 21.3 and the negative directional index (D-) at 11, bullish pressure continues to outweigh bearish activity, further supporting the upward trajectory.
The ADX measures the strength of a trend without considering its direction. Values above 25 indicate a strong trend, while those below 20 suggest a weak or nonexistent trend. With an ADX at 42.7, ADA is clearly in a strong uptrend, showing significant market confidence.
The gap between D+ and D- reinforces the bullish dominance, suggesting that ADA price could sustain its upward movement if current conditions persist.
Cardano Ichimoku Cloud Shows An Important Signal
The Ichimoku Cloud chart for Cardano indicates a generally bullish trend, as the price remains above the cloud (Kumo). The Tenkan-sen (blue line) and Kijun-sen (red line) are relatively flat, showing signs of consolidation after ADA’s recent rally.
While the price is still trading above these lines, the narrowing gap between the price and the Tenkan-sen suggests weakening short-term momentum.
The green cloud ahead signals potential support for ADA uptrend, but the current consolidation phase highlights the need for sustained buying pressure to maintain this momentum.
If the price drops below the Kijun-sen or approaches the cloud, it could signal a possible shift toward bearish sentiment.
ADA Price Prediction: Can It Reach $1 In November?
If Cardano (ADA) maintains its strong uptrend, it could test the resistance at $0.85. Breaking this level could pave the way for further gains, with the potential to reach the $1 threshold, marking a 20% rise from current levels and the highest price for Cardano since April 2022.
However, as indicated by the Ichimoku Cloud, a potential reversal could be on the horizon. If bearish momentum takes over, ADA price could face significant downward pressure, potentially dropping to $0.51.
If this support fails, the price could decline further to $0.32, representing a steep 59% correction. This highlights the importance of the current support and resistance levels in determining ADA’s next direction.
Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
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