Why Clicker Apps Like Notcoin Are Taking Off on Telegram

• Clicker game on Telegram gained over 30 million users.
• Solana-based app follows, causing a surge in Phantom Wallet downloads. 
• One app gains 8 million users in the first month. 

Despite billions of dollars in investment, crypto apps have long struggled to gain users. However, since the launch of Telegram Mini Apps, relatively simple crypto apps have gained a significant user base. 

Most recently, crypto clicker apps gained significant traction, boasting millions of users. These apps, including Notcoin, TapSwap, and others, offer an easy way for millions of users to get into crypto. 

Crypto Clicker Apps Gain Traction

After just a few months since its official launch in January, crypto clicker app Notcoin reached 30 million users. Its high user engagement drew attention to clicker apps in general and prompted even Telegram founder Pavel Durov to praise it as a success story. What is more, it caused many copycats to follow in its footsteps. 

After its launch, TapSwap, a Solana-based clicker app, launched its own competing app after its launch. Its app head is another element, asset swapping. Similar apps soon followed, including Hamster Kombat, which gained 8 million users in its first month since launch. 

All crypto clicker apps are designed around simple actions—primarily clicking or tapping—to earn in-game rewards. Users engage in repetitive tasks, such as tapping an animated coin or managing a virtual asset, to accumulate points or tokens. These tokens can often be used within the app for upgrades or traded with other players.

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The key to the success of these apps lies in Telegram’s platform, which lowers the barriers to entry for new users. Unlike traditional crypto applications that require extensive setup, such as creating wallets and understanding complex interfaces, Telegram’s Mini Apps require no setup at all. 

All the users have to do is set up a crypto wallet to collect rewards. It is this fact that has pushed the Phantom Wallet to the top third spot on the US App Store in the utilities category after the hype around TapSwap. 

Are Clicker Apps The Future? 

The value of gaming tokens is closely tied to the user base and demand within the game. As more users join and engage with the app, the perceived value of the tokens can increase. Clicker apps can highlight their significant user engagement to show their tokens are valuable. 

However, this model is fragile. If users start to sell their tokens, the value can plummet, undermining the entire economic structure of the app. When the token value goes down, rewards in real terms also go down, which can cause a drop in engagement. 

For instance, Notcoin saw a significant decrease in value, with its price dropping by 61.76% since its launch just a week ago. The proliferation of copycat apps can exacerbate this issue, as users will likely move to apps that offer the best rewards. 

Overall, the clicker apps mirror the issues of Play-to-Earn (P2E) games in general. When the prices of the tokens drop, rewards in real terms drop, too, causing users to seek opportunities elsewhere, which further hits demand. 

On the Flipside

• Users should approach clicker apps not as a way to make money but as a fun activity with an opportunity to win small rewards. 
• Unlike most crypto games, traditional games don’t offer financial rewards for playing. Instead, they rely on gamification or making the game fun and engaging.  

Why This Matters

Users should understand that while these apps offer an engaging way to interact with digital assets, their rewards may not be sustainable in the long term. 

Read more about Telegram’s founder praising Notcoin and why it raised eyebrows: 
Telegram Founder’s $6.8M Notcoin ‘Gift’ Raises Red Flags

Read more about how clicker apps boosted the Phantom Wallet: 
Why Solana’s Phantom Wallet is Topping App Store Charts