Recently, I’ve been having fun discovering these games that pay in crypto on Telegram, and I must say the phenomenon has become really interesting. It’s no longer just a passing trend, but a true movement involving tens of millions of people worldwide.

I’ll start with Notcoin, which was practically the game that popularized the genre. I remember when it launched at the beginning of 2024 and within a few months reached 35 million players. The concept is simple: tap the screen to accumulate virtual coins, then convert them into real tokens on the TON blockchain. The $NOT token was launched in May 2024 and immediately reached a market cap of $1.1 billion. What struck me is how the project has evolved: first partnerships with games like Lost Dogs, then the Explore feature that integrated dApps. Now they aim to become a sort of Netflix for social gaming. It’s interesting to see how these crypto-paying games are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Then there’s Hamster Kombat, which caused even more buzz. Over 300 million players: the number is crazy. The concept involves managing virtual cryptocurrency exchanges with hamsters (yes, you read that right). The HMSTR token airdrop was scheduled for September 2024, with 60% of the supply allocated to players. Estimates suggested a launch price between $0.07 and $0.10. What I like about Hamster Kombat is that it has no venture capital backing; it’s truly community-driven. To maximize earnings, players had to stay active with daily check-ins, mini-games, and daily challenges.

Catizen is another project that attracted 34 million players. The gameplay revolves around breeding and merging virtual cats to earn vKITTY, which can be converted into the CATI token. The launch was scheduled for September 2024 with an airdrop of the first season’s 150 million tokens. Price projections indicated $0.40–$0.60 at launch, with potential increases to $0.80–$1.50 in the following months. Of course, it depends on how well the project can keep the community engaged.

X Empire was a more recent phenomenon, launched in July 2024 with already 35 million players. It’s one of those crypto-paying games where you build a virtual empire. What made headlines was the introduction of NFT vouchers: 570,000 minted and tradable, with one of the first sold for 7 TON (about $36). These NFTs granted early access to the $X token. The airdrop was scheduled for Q4 2024 based on game performance.

Rocky Rabbit surpassed 30 million players with a mechanism where you train virtual rabbits for battles and challenges, earning RBTC tokens. The airdrop was planned for September 2024 with a progressive unlock system: 50% immediately, the rest unlocked through P2E activities over the next five months. The estimated price was between $0.001 and $0.005. The team planned to expand the game with more mini-games and earning opportunities through P2E.

A major exchange recently launched its tap-to-earn game on Telegram, Moonbix, themed around space exploration. Players collect rare items to accumulate points convertible into tokens and rewards. The gameplay offers six rounds per hour, each ten minutes long, with a potential of 200 points per round. There are referral bonuses, daily check-ins, and the option to link your account to unlock an additional 10,000 points. Only verified accounts could access the airdrop. This also falls into the category of crypto-paying games that are proliferating.

Finally, TapSwap stands out with over 60 million registered players. The TAPS token was expected for October 2024, with price estimates between $0.03 and $0.06 and a projected market cap between $600 million and $800 million. The innovation was Tappy Town, a city-building mode that adds strategy to the gameplay. The project promised DeFi integrations and future partnerships.

What emerges from this analysis is that crypto-paying games are no longer an experiment but a consolidated phenomenon. Millions of people are earning real tokens through simple, fun gameplay. Blockchain technology ensures transparency and true ownership of assets. Airdrops represent an innovative way to distribute tokens to the community, creating a real gaming economy.

Of course, as with any opportunity in crypto, caution is necessary: volatility is real, prices can fluctuate significantly after launch, and long-term success depends on the team’s commitment and community support. But if you’re interested in seeing how gaming and blockchain are converging, these crypto-paying games are a good starting point to understand where the industry is heading.