The Mini Program Revolution: The Web3 Journey of Telegram Mini Apps

Recently, the Telegram ecosystem has rapidly developed, becoming a hot topic in the Web3 field. The messaging giant Telegram, with 900 million users, has launched mini-programs and bot development features. Currently, Telegram mini-programs can fully replace most websites, supporting seamless authorization, integration payments through multiple payment providers, and more customized features, such as automatic news delivery, news summaries, and the recently popular Catizen mini-game. In addition, Telegram has developed the TON chain, supporting convenient blockchain transactions. This "traffic + payment" route, similar to WeChat, has enabled Telegram to grow rapidly.

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

The origin and development of mini programs is a process driven by several major companies, among which WeChat mini programs are the earliest and most typical representatives. The origin of mini programs can be traced back to 2013, when Baidu proposed the concept of "light applications," defining a fully functional app that does not require downloading and can be used immediately upon searching. However, light applications did not achieve the expected success. Subsequently, Google introduced the concept of PWA (Progressive Web App) in 2016, but it did not gain widespread application domestically either. Ultimately, WeChat mini programs successfully led the trend of mini program development, thanks to WeChat's massive user base and strong platform support.

Analysis of the reasons for the explosive popularity of the mini program:

1. User Convenience: The mini program provides users with an extremely convenient experience due to its characteristics of "no installation required, easily accessible, can be used immediately and exited, no uninstallation needed."

2. Lower development and maintenance costs: Compared to native applications, the development cost of mini-programs is significantly lower because they do not require separate development for different operating systems, and maintenance is also simpler.

3. Huge potential user base: Platforms like WeChat, Alipay, Douyin, etc. have a large user base, which provides a huge potential market and user foundation for mini programs.

4. Traffic and Marketing Advantages: Mini programs can seamlessly integrate with other platform features, utilizing social networks for rapid dissemination and marketing.

5. Lightweight application scenario adaptability: The lightweight design of mini-programs is particularly suitable for tool-type application scenarios that are not frequently used but are indispensable.

6. Avoiding platform revenue sharing: For developers, mini-programs can bypass the high revenue sharing fees and strict review mechanisms of platforms like the Apple App Store, increasing profits and saving time costs.

Composition and Ecology of the Mini Program Industry Chain:

1. Comprehensive competition among multiple platforms: Currently, the mini program industry involves almost all major internet companies, and developers cover nearly all online scenarios.

2. Users have fully adapted to participating in production and life through mini-programs: In 2023, the user scale of internet applications in China reached hundreds of millions in multiple fields.

3. Development Momentum: The number of mini programs and transaction scale of WeChat and Alipay are on par and lead other platforms. Douyin mini programs are experiencing strong growth momentum.

4. Distribution of Mini Programs by Industry: Mini programs in the life service category have the highest number of entries, the highest proportion, and the most access times.

5. AI Empowers Mini Program Services to Reach New Heights: The application of AI technology in mini program services is driving the development of services towards greater efficiency, intelligence, and personalization.

6. The content production and marketing of mini programs will be formalized: promotion relies on KOLs to endorse products through their social relationships, and MCN companies will work together to expand promotion.

7. The potential in the vertical fields of lifestyle and entertainment is enormous: fields such as maternal and infant care, travel, and scientific popularization have a higher average turnover rate, while user numbers and average time spent are growing strongly.

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

Telegram has recently introduced the Mini Apps feature, allowing "mini applications" similar to WeChat mini programs to run within its app. This feature is similar to the bots that have been operating in Telegram for some time, but it offers a more advanced user experience.

Telegram Mini Apps have the following features:

1. Seamless Integration: Mini Apps can be directly integrated into Telegram, which has millions of active users.

2. Enhance user experience: Users can use interactive and complex web applications without needing to download or install separate applications.

3. Versatility: Mini Apps can be applied in various scenarios such as e-commerce, customer support, gaming, and quizzes.

4. Rapid Development: Developers can quickly develop Mini Apps using familiar web technologies.

5. Cross-platform compatibility: Mini Apps can be used in all official Telegram applications, regardless of the device the user is using.

6. Enhance User Interaction: Mini Apps provide a simplified way for users to communicate with the project.

In addition, Telegram's Mini Apps collaborate with TON to enhance the functionality of Mini Apps through the TON Chain. TON's Mini Apps provide a convenient entry point for Web2 users to easily step into the Web3 world.

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Telegram: Bridging Web2 and Web3

The Telegram mini-program is currently very popular, and more importantly, it has now played the role of a bridge between Web2 and Web3. Here are some hot application cases in the current TG ecosystem:

) NotCoin

NotCoin is a "click click click" game on the TG mini program, where users can earn money simply by clicking the screen. Since its official launch on January 1, 2024, until the token's launch on Binance before May 16, NotCoin has attracted over 35 million players, with daily active users exceeding 5 million. NotCoin has successfully attracted a large number of users and has subtly transformed a significant portion of them into Web3 users.

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) Catizen

Catizen is a management game where players take on the role of the owner of a cat shop. Within three months of launch, it has garnered over twenty million users, with a daily active user (DAU) count reaching two and a half million. Catizen not only attracts tens of millions of players but also guides players to bind their TG wallets and achieve on-chain contract interactions within the game.

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) Hamster Kombat

The game background of Hamster Kombat is set for players to act as the boss of a cryptocurrency exchange. As of the end of June, the game has over 200 million users. The game enhances players' understanding of cryptocurrencies through unique gameplay and daily video tasks, motivating them to learn about Web3 knowledge and stay updated with Web3 news.

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Conclusion and Outlook

The popularity of the TG mini program has brought rapid user growth to TON, with the number of active wallets increasing from one million to over ten million within seven months since the beginning of 2024. The TG mini program resembles a hybrid model of Web2 and Web3, being neither completely centralized nor completely decentralized.

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Although the TG mini-program has been performing remarkably well recently, in the long run, the TG ecosystem is different from BTC, Ethereum, Solana, and others that leverage blockchain technology to serve finance. The TG ecosystem is more about using technology to serve other fields. This represents an exploration and attempt to apply blockchain technology in more areas, but it differs from the current mainstream Web3, which is predominantly finance-oriented.

In the future, the TG ecosystem may have more practical applications emerging, not limited to gaming, ultimately becoming a super app like WeChat. The development of the TON chain will be more inclined towards application payment methods and assistance. Whether the TG ecosystem will delve more into the financial sector depends on how traditional old chains respond.

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