Telegram introduces store for mini apps as games like Hamster Kombat take off

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced plans to bolster the messaging app's blockchain-related initiatives.

Durov posted in his Telegram channel that "2024 will go down in history as the year when hundreds of millions of people became familiar with blockchain. We’re proud that Telegram is at the epicenter of this societal transformation."

Telegram and its The Open Network ( TON +1.63% ) blockchain have both expanded their footprint in the world of crypto in recent months, with tens of millions of gamers using the messaging app as a portal to play tap-to-earn games like Hamster Kombat, Notcoin and Yescoin. All these clicker games, which allow users to potentially earn crypto, utilize the TON blockchain. The Notcoin game alone helped the TON network onboard over 1 million wallets during the game's token generation event.

"To keep the fire going, this month, we will introduce a mini-app store and an in-app browser with support for web3 pages," Durov said in his post.

The TON blockchain's total value locked has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent months. Its TVL crossed $300 million for the first time in May and now registers at more than $760 million, according to DeFiLlama data . In parallel, the network's native Toncoin has risen from trading a little over $2.30 at the beginning of the year to now more than $7.00, according to The Block Price Page .

The Telegram messaging app has about 900 million users globally and is highly popular among many who are investing and working in crypto.

Durov said Telegram also plans to ramp up efforts to combat the nefarious actions of bad actors.

"We will also step up our efforts to fight the scammers seeking to defraud new entrants into the crypto realm," he said. "Soon, Telegram will begin displaying the month of registration and principal country for public accounts (similar to Instagram)."

In addition, the Telegram CEO said the app will "allow organizations to use their mini apps to issue labels for channels, creating a decentralized marketplace for third-party verification."