Notcoin (NOT) is the first Telegram game to introduce the “earn coins by clicking” model. Users can earn the in-game token NOT by simply clicking the on-screen button. These tokens later turned into airdropped tokens worth $1 billion, making it one of the most successful coin issuance projects in the TON blockchain ecosystem, and sparking a trend of imitating the “earn coins by clicking” model. Many new projects have since followed Notcoin’s model to launch Telegram games.
Despite achieving a certain level of success, Notcoin’s anonymous founder Sasha admitted that this model cannot last forever. In an interview with The Block, Sasha used the example of the game Catizen, stating that over half of its users are paying customers, generating 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 “earn coins by clicking” narrative. He plans to establish sustainable and efficient subsystems over the next four years to make the project independent of the team.
One 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 center driving other ecosystem projects, stimulate market demand for Notcoin, and destroy some tokens in the process. Sasha hopes to increase the number of these activities by 50 to 100 per week. He described this model as:
Furthermore, Sasha pointed out that this is just one of many possible subsystems, with others possibly including competitions, ways to incentivize contributors, game platforms, and even a decentralized university based on AI content. He said, “We are still experimenting. Some models will disappear, and some will develop and succeed.”
Currently, besides 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, whether they can replicate Notcoin’s success remains to be seen.