Telegram Mini Program: A New Bridge to Web3

Recently, the Telegram ecosystem has rapidly developed, becoming a hot topic in the Web3 field. The messaging platform Telegram, with 900 million users, has launched mini-programs and bot development features. Currently, Telegram mini-programs can replace most website functionalities, supporting seamless authorization, integrated payments, and customized features such as automatic news delivery, news summary services, and the recently popular Catizen mini-game. In addition, Telegram has developed the TON blockchain, supporting convenient blockchain transactions. This "traffic + payment" approach has allowed Telegram to grow rapidly.

Web2 Era: The Development History and Current Status of Mini Programs

The origin of mini programs can be traced back to the "light application" concept proposed by Baidu in 2013. In 2016, WeChat mini programs were officially launched, becoming the leader in the development of mini programs. Subsequently, platforms such as Alipay, Baidu, and Douyin launched their own mini program ecosystems.

The reasons for the explosive popularity of mini programs include: user convenience, low development and maintenance costs, a huge potential user base, advantages in traffic and marketing, adaptability to lightweight application scenarios, and avoidance of platform revenue sharing.

The mini-program industry chain involves multi-platform competition, user habits, development momentum, industry distribution, AI assistance, and content production marketing. Life services, online shopping, and utility mini-programs have become the main application areas.

The Web3 Era: The Rise and Characteristics of Telegram Mini Apps

Telegram Mini Apps have the following features:

1. Seamless integration: Directly integrated into the Telegram platform.
2. Enhance user experience: No need to install separately.
3. Versatility: Suitable for various scenarios such as e-commerce, customer support, gaming, etc.
4. Rapid Development: Use familiar Web technologies
5. Cross-platform compatibility: Usable across all official Telegram applications.
6. Enhance user interaction: Simplify the communication methods between users and the project.

Telegram Mini Apps has collaborated with the TON blockchain to enhance functionality and provide Web2 users with a convenient entry point into the Web3 world.

Telegram: Bridging Web2 and Web3

The Telegram mini-program has become an important bridge connecting Web2 and Web3. Here are some popular application cases:

1. NotCoin: A simple "dot dot dot" game that has attracted over 35 million players and successfully converted a large number of users into Web3 users.

2. Catizen: A management game with over 20 million users, enabling on-chain contract interactions through in-game guidance.

3. Hamster Kombat: A game with a complex background setting, boasting over 200 million users, guiding users to learn Web3 knowledge through a task system and video watching.

Conclusion and Outlook

The Telegram mini-program has brought significant user growth to the TON blockchain, with the number of active wallets increasing from 1 million to over 10 million in seven months. The Telegram ecosystem offers a hybrid model of Web2 and Web3, featuring both centralized fiat in-app purchases and on-chain transfers and interactions.

Although Telegram mini-programs perform well, their ecosystem differs from the mainstream finance-led Web3. The Telegram ecosystem focuses more on applications such as gaming, gambling, and payments, relying on user numbers and usage duration.

In the future, the Telegram ecosystem may develop into a super app similar to WeChat, with the TON chain leaning more towards being a payment method and support for applications. Whether the Telegram ecosystem will delve deeper into the financial sector remains to be seen, depending on how traditional blockchain responds.