The User Growth Journey of the TON Ecosystem: From Social Fission to Traffic Monetization

In the rapid development of the blockchain field, the TON ecosystem stands out with its unique rise. Drawing on the successful experience of mini programs, TON's MiniApp not only promotes user expansion of the ecosystem but also provides innovative business models and effective traffic strategies for Web3 projects. These MiniApps demonstrate strong traffic capabilities on Telegram, enabling Web3 projects to quickly reach a wide user base. This article will delve into the rapid rise of the TON ecosystem, analyzing how it provides valuable business model references and traffic solutions for future Web3 users on Telegram and other channels through MiniApps, helping them succeed in a highly competitive market.

Significant rise of data on the TON blockchain

Common indicators used to assess the rise level of the ecosystem include trading volume, number of active addresses, smart contract development status, total locked value (TVL), network fees, validator participation, token transfer volume, and MiniApp interactions. These indicators comprehensively reflect the development status and activity level of the ecosystem.

User Acquisition Strategies on TON

Social Viral Growth: Low-Cost and Efficient User Rise Strategy

Social裂变 is a very effective user acquisition strategy, widely used especially on social platforms. By relying on users' social networks, social裂变 achieves rapid user growth through the dissemination of relationship chains. Compared with traditional advertising marketing, social裂变 has lower costs and higher persuasiveness because users are more inclined to trust recommendations from friends or family. In addition, social裂变 leverages network effects and裂变 gameplay to form exponential dissemination effects, bringing precise user growth. These users acquired through裂变 are usually similar to the target users in terms of interests, needs, and behavioral characteristics, making the dissemination more effective. At the same time, relying on social products that are used frequently on a daily basis, user stickiness is higher, allowing for more frequent use of these platforms and products.

Reference WeChat's fission strategy

WeChat, as a successful model of social fission, has provided rich reference experiences for other platforms in areas such as mini program operations, external link management, and personal account usage. The fission gameplay that was once banned on WeChat can be tried again on Telegram. By learning from WeChat's operational experience, projects on Telegram can utilize these social fission strategies to achieve viral dissemination and rapid rise in users.

Application Scenario: Game

According to the complexity of the product and business, the customer acquisition methods of viral proliferation can be divided into several levels:

• 0 Lu Network Profit Type: Attract users through simple online profit mechanisms, such as projects like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat, which have hundreds of millions of users and a large number of channel subscribers on Telegram.

• Probability-based gaming: Combining probability lottery mechanics such as red envelope splitting, lucky wheel, blind box opening, etc., typical projects include Catizen (cat raising) and TonGifts (red envelope distribution). These types of projects rely on social networks to rapidly spread users.

• Casual game type: Attract users through more complex gameplay and entertainment scenarios, such as Catizen and PixelTap (robot battle). These casual mini-games increase user stickiness and engagement through deep user interaction.

Application Scenario: Memecoin

User acquisition strategies are not only applicable to traditional products but are also crucial in the promotion of Meme Coins. The diffusion path of Meme Coins can be likened to the difference between natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds. Natural Meme Coins spread spontaneously through the community, typically expanding from Reddit to Telegram or Discord, and then further disseminating to broader social platforms. In contrast, synthetic Meme Coins achieve viral rapid spread internally within Telegram through social fission strategies.

To create a blockbuster Meme Coin, the key lies in the strategy of "great effort produces miracles + rural surrounds city," promoting through low-cost and high-impact social scenarios. A developer-friendly environment and fair design are also important factors in attracting users. Additionally, by creating a FOMO (fear of missing out) sentiment, more people are encouraged to participate, thus forming a strong consensus and user traffic.

These user acquisition strategies have played an important role not only in the incubation of Meme Coins but also provided a strong impetus for user growth in the Telegram and TON ecosystems. This strategy has opened up vast space for the future development of the Web3 ecosystem.

Phenomenal Success Case: Notcoin

Notcoin is a social click game accessible via Telegram, which officially launched on January 1, 2024, and has quickly attracted a large number of users. The game reached astonishing figures in just a few months: 40 million Telegram users, 8 million Telegram channel subscribers, and 6 million daily active users. Here are the key milestones in its development:

• January 1, 2024: Official launch of the game.
• January 26, 2024: Cumulative users reach 20 million.
• February 29, 2024: Collaborative event with a trading platform.
• March 8, 2024: Pre-Market opens on a certain platform, 10M Notcoin points can be exchanged for an NFT voucher (equivalent to 10,000 $NOT).
• March 30, 2024: Announcement of token economics, stating that 100% of NOT tokens will be distributed to players.
• April 12, 2024: End game mining and announce the official economic model.
• May 16, 2024: Launch on multiple trading platforms simultaneously.

The success of Notcoin can be attributed to the three key elements of "timing, location, and human resources":

• Official demand from Telegram: Telegram needs a thriving ecosystem, requiring a large number of applications similar to mini-programs, and allowing developers to profit from it. Notcoin happens to meet this demand.

• Demand from the TON Foundation: The TON Foundation needs to establish the utility and business model of the TON token by building an application ecosystem, and Notcoin is an ideal application scenario.

• Exchange Demand: In the current market's sluggish sentiment, exchanges are in urgent need of new Web3 users, and Notcoin's large user base just provides them with this opportunity.

• The needs of Web3 and Web2 users: The success of Notcoin can also be attributed to meeting the demands of different user groups, such as the fairness sought by experienced Web3 users and the desire for low barriers and high returns from newly entered Web2 users.

The Main Business Model of Telegram + TON

1. In-app purchases (virtual value)

This model, as the main revenue model for WeChat ecosystem mini-games, has given birth to multiple blockbuster paid products, such as "Yin Yang Sheep" in 2021.

As of Q2 2024, the monthly active users of WeChat mini-games have exceeded 500 million, and the annual revenue is expected to reach 40 billion RMB.

Similar to WeChat mini-games, in the Telegram + TON ecosystem, in-app purchases have become a successful business model, especially in the gaming sector. Catizen is a typical representative of this model. Since its launch in March 2024, Catizen has attracted over 50 million users in less than four months and achieved over $20 million in revenue through in-app purchases. It is worth noting that Catizen's success is not only reflected in its large user base but also in its high ARPU (Average Revenue Per User). Additionally, 40% of Telegram Premium users are players of Catizen, indicating a high integration of virtual value-added services with social platforms, which brings significant profit opportunities for developers.

2. Issuing Tokens

The issuance of tokens is another major business model in the Telegram + TON ecosystem, and the Notcoin project is a successful example of this model. Since its official launch in January 2024, Notcoin has rapidly accumulated 40 million users and successfully brought the NOT token to market through a series of activities and strategic partnerships (such as co-branded activities with a trading platform and Pre-Market on a certain platform). This model not only helped Notcoin quickly expand its user base but also achieved a seamless transition from gaming to the financial market through the token economy model. Ultimately, Notcoin's token was successfully listed on multiple major trading platforms, further consolidating its market position. In late September, Catizen and Hamster also successfully went public on exchanges.

3. Traffic Conversion -- Selling, Joint Operation Incubation

Traffic Selling: Strategies for Efficient Monetization

In the Telegram + TON ecosystem, traffic selling has become an efficient and direct monetization strategy. Multiple platforms are representatives of this model, operating several projects daily and generating considerable income by selling user traffic from Telegram channels. Depending on the number, quality, and geographic distribution of purchased users, mainstream platforms have a selling price per user ranging from $0.03 to $0.1. This model not only allows for quick cash flow but also provides a convenient user acquisition channel for small and medium-sized projects.

Traffic Union: Incubating New Projects with Mature Ecosystem

The traffic cooperation model is known as the "Cheetah Model", which has been widely used in the Telegram + TON ecosystem. Catizen's long-term plan includes this strategy, aiming to incubate 200 games that were once popular in the WeChat ecosystem. By leveraging the existing user base and traffic advantages, the traffic cooperation model helps these games quickly gain users on Telegram and rejuvenate. This model not only reduces the marketing costs of new projects but also significantly increases the success rate, allowing once-popular games to be revived in a new ecosystem.

Meme Incubation: Comprehensive Promotion from Community to Market

The Meme incubation model is an extension of traffic sales and joint operations, combining the functions of a launchpad and a DEX, providing a one-stop solution for Meme Coin projects from incubation to market promotion. A certain project is one of the successful cases of this model, having 20 million Telegram channel users. Through the MVP program of a certain trading platform, this project has successfully promoted multiple Meme Coin projects in social platforms and the cryptocurrency market. The Meme incubation model leverages the powerful social network of Telegram and the blockchain technology of TON, allowing emerging Meme projects to quickly attract community attention, gain initial traffic, and ultimately achieve trading on DEX. This model not only promotes the spread of Meme culture but also provides opportunities for investors and community members to participate in innovative projects.

4. Advertising Revenue

Telegram has launched a brand new advertising revenue model based on TON, bringing new profit opportunities for public channel owners. Channel owners can receive 50% of the advertising revenue, paid in Toncoin (TON), the cryptocurrency of the TON blockchain. For channels that find it difficult to profit through direct monetization, especially in the education and entertainment sectors, this model undoubtedly provides more room for developing high-quality content. At the same time, Telegram also offers the Telegram Star program, allowing channel or bot owners to run ads through the Telegram advertising platform and pay for ad placement using Stars from their channel or bot account balance, enjoying discounts of up to 30%. This provides channel owners with a more cost-effective way to attract new users, further enhancing the exposure and growth potential of their channels or bots.

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