Rise of Telegram Mini Apps: How it started and how it’s going

The Web3 engine of TON gives Telegram’s Mini Apps a competitive advantage, opening up new monetization tools, according to the TON Foundation ecosystem lead.

Telegram-linked blockchain platform, The Open Network (TON), recorded massive growth in 2024, with a large amount of activity coming from the adoption of Telegram Mini Apps like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat.

According to data from DefiLlama, the total value locked (TVL) in various TON projects has surged more than 2,000% since early January, jumping from just $14.2 million to $307.6 at the time of writing.

While only around for a while, Mini Apps on Telegram have significantly contributed to the mass adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, with many industry observers recognizing their significant potential in onboarding the first billion crypto users.

What are Telegram Mini Apps and what is their mission?

Telegram Mini Apps, or TMAs, are web applications that run inside Telegram, a messenger founded by programmer Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai Durov in 2013.

According to TON Foundation ecosystem lead Alena Shmalko, Telegram debuted the Mini Apps platform in 2023 to enable developers worldwide to launch new applications. 

The platform allows developers to build web applications directly in the Telegram app using major web programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript. These apps are available in the Telegram Apps Center, which is itself a Mini App accessible via the dedicated bot on Telegram.

“It was the natural next step for their open bot API as developers craved the ability to build more sophisticated applications within the Telegram messenger application,” Shmalko told Cointelegraph in an interview in July.

Shmalko noted that other popular messengers like WeChat have similar bot platforms, but Telegram’s Mini Apps are considered to offer more competitive features, stating:

“The Web3 engine of TON gives Telegram’s platform a competitive advantage, opening up new monetization opportunities for creators, and empowering users with genuine ownership of their digital assets.”

What has driven Telegram Mini Apps’ popularity in 2024?

Shmalko said that after debuting Telegram Mini Apps in 2023, Telegram enabled developers to start integrating the TON blockchain into their apps in January 2024, which marked the beginning of their rapid adoption.

According to the TON Foundation ecosystem lead, the combination of Telegram’s 900 million audience with TON blockchain’s speed, scalability and low transaction fees has enabled the quick rise of TMAs in 2024.

Coupled with new in-app payment tools like Telegram Stars, Telegram Mini Apps could “end up being a Trojan horse for onboarding Web2 developers into Web3,” with revenue withdrawals only available in Toncoin (TON), the native cryptocurrency of TON, Shmalko told Cointelegraph. She stated:

“TON Blockchain is the obvious choice to integrate when you consider the scale of some of these applications. Notcoin quickly gained 40 million users, while Hamster Kombat has around 300 million players.”

Among other factors contributing to TMA’s growth, Shmalko also mentioned the role of the TON Foundation’s community incentive program, The Open League. Launched in March 2024, The Open League has been a “central component” of TON’s growth, aiming to distribute 30 million in Toncoin, which is worth $167 million at the time of writing, according to CoinGecko.

TON’s TVL down 60% since July: What’s next for Telegram Mini Apps?

After posting a huge rally in the first half of 2024, the TON ecosystem faced a notable decline in terms of total value locked on its projects.

According to DefiLlama data, TON’s TVL peaked at $776.6 million on July 19, only to face a subsequent sharp drop of 60% amid a broader sell-off on cryptocurrency markets like Bitcoin (BTC).

TON’s TVL decline appears to be further affected by the detention of Telegram CEO Durov in France. Since French authorities detained Durov at Le Bourget airport in Paris on Aug. 24, TON’s TVL tumbled around 5%, while TON’s native cryptocurrency dropped nearly 20%. 

In the aftermath, the TON Foundation has claimed to remain fully operational. At the same time, Telegram declared that the firm abides by the European Union’s laws, including the Digital Services Act.

Related: Rumble boss ‘departed’ from Europe after Telegram CEO arrest

While security firms like Kaspersky reportedly claimed that the Durov incident had nothing to do with Telegram’s security and safety, some users reported having issues with Wallet on Telegram. This third-party app allows Telegram users to buy, sell and store cryptocurrency.

These issues, however, are not necessarily linked to Durov’s detention.

According to a statement from the Wallet News channel on Telegram, the Wallet in Telegram has been affected by the airdrop of DOGS, a new TON-based memecoin designed to embody the spirit and culture of the Telegram community. The channel reported that several exchanges, including Wallet in Telegram, were running less smoothly than usual due to the DOGS launch.

According to Shmalko, the TON ecosystem and Telegram are now “stronger than ever.”

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