Telegram GameFi in 2024: seven projects that redefined Play-to-Earn

Telegram has become an unexpected haven for crypto games. In just six months, projects have emerged here that have gathered more users than some alt-networks. The numbers are impressive: Hamster Kombat — 300 million players, Notcoin — 35 million, TapSwap — 60 million. But why did these particular games succeed while thousands of others failed?

Notcoin: from 0 to 1.1B in a month

It all started simply — click on the coin, receive $NOT. On May 16, 2024, the token shot up on exchanges, initially at $0.01. Now its market cap is above $1.1 billion. The project quickly evolved: launched Notcoin Explore for integration with dApps, then took over the ecosystem through partnerships (Lost Dogs — $NOT + $WOOF tokens). The main feature: the project did not end with an airdrop. Notcoin positions itself as a decentralized Netflix for viral social games. This is a long-term bet on infrastructure, not a one-day hype.

Hamster Kombat: 300M players and Q4 giveaway

This is the second monster. The viral clicker pro managing the crypto-exchange hamster became mainstream faster than anyone could have expected. The launch of token $HMSTR is scheduled for September 26, 2024, on TON — initially promised for July, but technical issues pushed the date back. The main figure: 60% of all tokens go to players. Analysts estimate the starting price at $0.07–0.10, although forecasts vary. The key to success: the absence of VC support means the token grows on organic demand, not on fund guides. The last day of mining is September 20. After that, the snapshot of activity will record the final shares of each player.

Catizen: cats instead of hamsters

34 million players are engaged in breeding virtual cats, converting vKITTY at launch. The token $CATI will launch on September 20, ( at 10:00 UTC), with listings already agreed upon on Binance, Bybit, and Gate. Expected price: $0.40–0.60 at launch. Over the next months, if the ecosystem does not collapse, analysts see growth potential up to $0.80–1.50. 150 million tokens are being distributed as part of the seasonal giveaway starting on September 14, (. The risk is typical for airdrops: mass farming by newcomers who will sell immediately after launch.

X Empire: NFT-vouchers as a hype tool

Previously known as Musk Empire, the project attracted 35 million users since July 2024. The mechanics are to build a virtual empire and earn $X. The token launch has been postponed to Q4 2024. But here's what's interesting: X Empire released 570K NFT vouchers on Getgems and found that people are willing to pay. The first vouchers traded for 7 TON )≈36 US dollars( — pure speculation on the upcoming token. This is a repeat of the Notcoin strategy, but with a more explicit focus on NFTs as a speculative asset. Last day of mining: September 30.

Rocky Rabbit: another airdrop in September

30 million players are training rabbits and solving daily puzzles, earning RabBitcoin )$RBTC(. The qualification deadline is September 20, the snapshot is on September 21, and the airdrop is on September 22. The initial price is projected to be $0.001–$0.005. 50% of the tokens will be received immediately, and the rest will be unlocked through the Play-to-Unlock mechanics over the next five months. The roadmap envisions an evolution from a simple clicker to a full-fledged P2E platform with additional mini-games.

Moonbix from Binance: space as a theme

Official Binance project on Telegram, launched on September 19, 2024. Mechanics: collect golden stones with a spaceship, earn points, convert to $MBIX. Up to six rounds per hour, each lasting 10 minutes, with up to 200 points per round. Referral bonus — 10% of points from invited friends ) limit 50K (. Linking Binance account gives a bonus of 10K points. KYC is mandatory for airdrop. Token announcement expected in Q4 2024 or early 2025.

TapSwap: 60M players and October launch

The largest by number: over 60 million registered players. The TAPS token is launching on October 30, 2024, ) the delay was at the beginning of the year for clarification of tokenomics (. Expected price: $0.03–$0.06, market cap $600–$800 million. Recently added Tappy Town – a city-building mode that adds a strategic layer. Plans include expanding trading pairs and partnerships in DeFi.

General Overview

All these projects are releasing airdrops in August-October 2024. This creates a serial FOMO effect: while one token is rising, millions of people are already farming the next one. Most start with low prices )0.001–0.10 dollars(, but skyrockets due to a massive player base. Risks: classic ones — mass sell-offs at launch, volatility, user attrition after airdrop. But the architecture is decentralized )TON, Solana(, which ensures normal security. In conclusion: Telegram has become the main entry point into crypto for ordinary people, games are the onboarding tool for a new generation of users.