Notcoin (NOT) is the first Telegram game that pioneered the “click to earn coins” model. Users can earn the in-game token NOT by simply clicking on the screen button. These tokens later became airdropped tokens worth 1 billion US dollars, making it one of the most successful coin issuance projects in the TON blockchain ecosystem. It also sparked a trend of imitating the “click to earn coins” model, with many new projects launching Telegram games following Notcoin’s pattern.
Despite achieving a certain level of success, Notcoin’s anonymous founder Sasha admitted that this model cannot last forever. Sasha, in an interview with The Block, mentioned the Catizen game as an example, stating that over half of its users are paying customers and has generated millions of dollars in revenue, demonstrating the sustainability of its business model.
Regarding Notcoin itself, Sasha expressed his desire to move away from the singular “click to earn coins” narrative. He plans to establish sustainable and efficient subsystems over the next four years to make the project independent of the team.
A current focus of development is the activities provided by the Notcoin app, where users can earn Notcoin by interacting with other new Telegram games. This model aims to transform Notcoin into the hub that drives other ecosystem projects, stimulating market demand for Notcoin and destroying some tokens in the process. Sasha hopes to increase the number of these activities by 50 to 100 per week. He describes this model as:
Furthermore, Sasha pointed out that this is just one of many possible subsystems, with others potentially including competitions, ways to incentivize contributors, gaming platforms, and even a decentralized university based on AI content. He said, “We are still experimenting. Some models will disappear, while others will develop and succeed.”
Currently, in addition to Notcoin, there are other games on Telegram focusing on the TON blockchain ecosystem, such as Hamster Kombat, Yescoin, Tapswap, and PixelTap. While some of these projects plan to conduct similar airdrops, it remains to be seen whether they can replicate Notcoin’s success.
