Telegram Mini Apps: A Trojan Horse for Blockchain Adoption

Justin Hyun, the director of investments at TON Foundation, believes that blockchain-based mini-decentralized applications (dApps) on Telegram, known as Mini Apps, could serve as a “Trojan horse” for mass blockchain adoption. The idea is to introduce users to the blockchain through user-friendly dApps without explicitly educating them about blockchain technology. Telegram Mini Apps were launched in 2020 as an open platform in collaboration with The Open Network (TON) Foundation and Tencent. The goal was to create a super-app platform by allowing Web3 businesses to deploy crypto-friendly apps directly within the popular messaging app Telegram.

To bring the next 500 million users to the blockchain, it is crucial to start with simple use cases that don’t require users to be aware of the underlying blockchain interaction. Hyun believes that mass adoption begins with these uncomplicated use cases, which can then lead to more complex applications in the future. To achieve the ambitious goal of bringing 500 million people onto the blockchain by 2028, it is necessary to create use cases that seamlessly interact with the blockchain without the user’s knowledge.

Some of the Telegram Mini Apps will offer Web3-specific financial incentives to users, providing further motivation for adoption. Telegram itself is already a popular messenger app globally, with over 800 million monthly active users. In February, Telegram announced the launch of its advertising platform, which will utilize the TON blockchain for payments. This platform will allow channel owners in over 100 countries to receive financial rewards for displaying ads in their channels. These channel owners will receive 50% of the total advertising revenue generated by Telegram.

To further boost adoption, TON launched a $115 million community incentive program. This program includes $38 million for token mining and user incentives, $22 million for airdrops, $15 million for The League developer ecosystem, and $40 million for liquidity pool boosts. These initiatives aim to encourage participation, reward users, and support the development of the ecosystem.

The use of Telegram Mini Apps represents a strategic approach to introduce more users to the blockchain world without overwhelming them with technicalities. By providing user-friendly interfaces and appealing incentives, these apps hope to attract a substantial number of users onto the blockchain, ultimately driving mass adoption of the technology.