What are Mini Apps in Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem?

Telegram Mini Apps is an open platform that allows Web3 businesses to deploy crypto-friendly apps directly within Telegram. Telegram is a messaging app with 800 million monthly active users worldwide. It launched Mini Apps in 2023 to position itself as a super-app platform through a strategic alliance with The Open Network (TON) Foundation and Tencent, WeChat’s parent company.

Telegram relies on a network of infrastructure partners from the established tech world and the crypto space to build its Mini App platform. Among them is TON, which lays the blockchain groundwork for Web3 ecosystem development on Telegram. This puts Telegram on a trajectory to transform into a decentralized super app, enabling Web3 developers to create Mini Apps on its platform.

The partnership unveiled a TON-based wallet on Telegram during the Token2049 event in Singapore in September 2023, which went live for Telegram users worldwide, marking a significant milestone for TON and Telegram. 

Leveraging the Telegram API and embracing its underlying blockchain technology, Web3 projects can seamlessly integrate critical elements such as unrivaled data security, decentralized applications (DApps), and cryptocurrency integration and payments, offering a holistic approach to the user experience (UX). 

While Telegram Mini Apps have utility for all sectors, this article focuses on Telegram Mini Apps and their impact on Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem. It discusses the implications of Telegram Mini Apps on Web3 and the crypto industry, decentralized finance (DeFi) integrations, blockchain gaming and the Web3 user interface, among other things. 

Telegram Mini Apps, explained

Telegram Mini Apps represent a transformative addition to the Telegram ecosystem, introducing a new dimension to bot interactions. They allow Telegram to pivot from a simple messenger app to a super app that combines multiple services into one platform, aligning personal and commercial ecosystems in one interface. 

Developed with JavaScript, the world’s most widely used programming language, these Mini Apps seamlessly integrate within the Telegram app. Their functionality extends beyond basic messaging, allowing for diverse applications such as gaming, content sharing and productivity tools.

What sets Telegram Mini Apps apart is their cross-platform compatibility. As web-based applications, they are accessible across Android, iOS, PC, Mac, and Linux with a single click, eliminating the need for additional installations. Leveraging Telegram bots, these Mini Apps provide:

• Interactive and automated experiences
• Responding to user input
• Executing tasks
• Facilitating dynamic interactions within the app.

Web3 DApp builders can also incorporate TON SDK, TON Connect, and tokens. TON blockchain is renowned for its scalability to manage high transaction volumes without performance lags, making it an ideal technology for super apps. TON enables the execution of smart contracts, the launch of DApps and the seamless integration of cryptocurrencies.

Benefits of Telegram Mini Apps for the Web3 ecosystem

Telegram Mini Apps offer myriad potential benefits to the Web3 ecosystem, including but not limited to: 

Privacy and security

Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem follows a focused approach to privacy and security. As per the app’s terms and conditions, comprehensive data recordkeeping and a focus on regulatory compliance to meet strict governance policies are ensured to secure user data.

LeapXpert, a pioneer in responsible business communication, plays a pivotal role in this endeavor. By offering compliant and secure communication platforms, LeapXpert ensures that user correspondence over Telegram adheres to regulatory standards, providing users with a secure environment for communication and transactions. 

This capability is pivotal for meeting stringent recordkeeping mandates across regulatory landscapes like Switzerland, the European Union and the United Arab Emirates.

Scalability and mass adoption

Scalability is crucial in Web3, where DApps and blockchain-based services aim for widespread adoption. The ability of TON to efficiently manage high transaction volumes is seen as a potential attraction for DApp builders. 

This high-speed transaction, coupled with access to Telegram’s 800-million user base, is a critical factor that has the potential to attract new users and address the challenge of achieving mass adoption.

Web3-supported payment gateways

The integration of payment gateways in Web3 within Telegram’s Mini Apps further enhances the overall user experience. This facilitates smooth and secure peer-to-peer transactions, a crucial aspect of the emerging token economy.

Apart from integrated payment gateways such as Google Pay and Apple Pay, Telegram Mini Apps support Toncoin, TON’s native cryptocurrency, adding another layer to the ecosystem and enabling crypto users to seamlessly engage in blockchain-based transactions.

Community engagement

Telegram has, for a decade, been a popular community and shilling platform for crypto enthusiasts. With the introduction of Telegram Mini Apps, Web3 projects — GameFi, DeFi, decentralized exchanges (DEXs), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and nonfungible token (NFT) projects — can now introduce a dynamic, interactive ecosystem. Introducing Mini App-specific badges or leaderboards displayed on user profiles or channels. 

Completing tasks, achieving milestones or contributing to the community with Mini Apps can be rewarded with virtual badges, boosting user motivation and creating a sense of accomplishment.

Blockchain gaming and Telegram Mini Apps

The gaming sector is seen as the frontrunner in tapping into Telegram’s massive Mini Apps ecosystem. One of the earliest games to leverage Telegram Mini Apps is the Fanton project, a fantasy soccer game with 55,000 active monthly users at its launch on Mini Apps on TON in September 2023. Others include Hero Blaze: Three Kingdoms, Tap Fantasy, Egg Fight Club and Growing. 

PlayDeck is a TON toolkit on TON’s gaming platform, TON Play, that allows game developers to leverage the power of Telegram Mini Apps. It will enable developers to publish any web-based game to a Telegram game in minutes, boosting the gaming ecosystem. TON Play has a variety of games in chess, strategy, shooters, card games, economy simulators, etc. 

The games that launch here have the advantages of creating and managing their gaming community on Telegram, monetizing NFTs, making in-game tokens or accepting crypto payments for other features. Tencent’s partnership with Telegram and TON brings enhanced gaming solutions backed by Tencent Cloud services. 

Telegram games built on TON can benefit from Tencent Cloud’s enriched gaming solution, as it supports TON validators and plans to expand its services further to help meet TON’s high compute intensity and network bandwidth needs. This solves speed, scalability and storage issues. 

Telegram Mini App DeFi integration

DeFi has oftentimes been called out to be plagued with its fractured user experience and difficult-to-use technology, making it increasingly challenging for newbies and hindering its mass adoption. Telegram Mini Apps bring in the chance to create a powerful synergy for being able to manage DeFi investments, borrow or lend cryptocurrencies, and trade DeFi assets, all within the familiar and unified landscape of Telegram Mini Apps. 

However, the DeFi landscape on Telegram Mini Apps is still in its early stages, and new projects are constantly emerging. Many projects are building a presence on Telegram Mini Apps, including Bitget, Button Wallet, TON Swap and 1inch Network. 

By seamlessly integrating blockchain technology and fostering partnerships with industry leaders like The Open Network Foundation and Tencent, Telegram is positioning itself as a key player on the cusp of developing a decentralized super app ecosystem.

Written by Shailey Singh