In 2025, Telegram is no longer just a messaging app. It has become the front door to the decentralized internet. Powered by The Open Network (TON), Telegram Mini Apps are transforming how users access games, financial tools, and crypto-native services. These lightweight apps live inside Telegram, combining the ease of chat with the power of Web3.
With over 1 billion users, Telegram is now the most viral entry point into blockchain. Games like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat, each with hundreds of millions of players, led the charge. Meanwhile, apps like Blum are expanding use cases beyond games, offering memecoin creation, token farming, and DeFi access through chat.
By turning wallets, games, and token tools into tap-and-go experiences, Telegram is removing the barriers to Web3 adoption. In this article, we break down what Telegram Mini Apps are, why the TON ecosystem matters, the top apps to watch, and how to get started.
What Are TON’s Telegram Mini Apps?
Source: TON.org
Telegram Mini Apps are lightweight applications that run directly inside Telegram chats, without needing downloads or external browsers. Built with HTML5 and JavaScript, they behave like mobile websites but are embedded in Telegram’s interface, letting users play, earn, trade, and explore crypto tools in just a few taps.
This format reimagines how people use apps. Instead of switching between services, users can discover Web3 games, financial tools, and token utilities inside the environment they already use for messaging. Mini Apps are accessible via search, bot commands, shared links, or the attachment menu, keeping everything frictionless and familiar.
Powered by TON, these apps go beyond traditional bots. With native wallet support, real-time transactions, and token ownership built in, Telegram Mini Apps function as decentralized applications (dApps) built for mass use.
Key Features and Functions:
• No installation required: Mini Apps open instantly inside Telegram with no need for app stores, downloads, or browser extensions.
• TON wallet integration: Apps can connect to TON-compatible wallets like Tonkeeper, allowing users to manage assets, send tokens, and receive rewards or airdrops.
• On-chain functionality: From swapping tokens to launching memecoins, many Mini Apps operate directly on the TON blockchain with real transaction support.
• Play-to-earn and social engagement: Built-in leaderboards, referral systems, and daily missions turn user activity into tokenized rewards.
• Cross-platform access: Fully usable on both mobile and desktop versions of Telegram, providing consistent access across devices.
TON in 2025: From Messaging App to Web3 Super Layer
TON is no longer just Telegram’s native blockchain. In 2025, it has become one of the most active and fastest-growing ecosystems in crypto. Designed for high performance and seamless integration with Telegram, TON now powers apps that feel intuitive, real-time, and mobile-native.
Ecosystem Scale and On-Chain Growth
Source: DefiLlamaAs of mid-2025, TON supports over 650 dApps and more than 200 ecosystem tokens. Its DeFi sector has surpassed $150 million in total value locked (TVL), with tools emerging across identity, gaming, and finance. Toncoin, its native asset, consistently ranks among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap.
Mass Adoption Through Mini Apps and Telegram Distribution
TON’s breakout moment came through viral Telegram Mini Apps. Games like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat reached over 300 million players combined at their peak, demonstrating that Web3 does not need Web3-native users. Apps like Blum introduced memecoin launches, token farming, and airdrops with no seed phrases or downloads required.
By integrating directly with how users already behave, tapping bots, playing games, and sending messages, TON Mini Apps now reach over 500 million monthly users inside Telegram. This showcases how habit-forming distribution can drive crypto adoption at social scale.
Stablecoins Go Live: Tether and XAUT on TON
In April 2024, Tether deployed $60 million USDT on the TON network and launched XAUT, a gold-backed stablecoin. Since then, USDT supply on TON has grown dramatically to over 1.43 billion tokens. This marked TON's entry into real-world financial use cases. With stablecoins natively available, users can now send cross-border payments and settle trades inside Telegram, using assets that are fast, stable, and trusted. Combined with TON's low fees and high throughput, this gives the network utility beyond gaming and speculation.
Combined with TON’s high throughput and low transaction fees, the arrival of USDT and XAUT gives the network functionality that extends beyond gaming or speculation. It is now a credible layer for payments, commerce, and global remittance.
Top 7 Telegram Mini Apps to Know in 2025
Telegram Mini Apps are no longer niche experiments. They have become onboarding gateways, community engines, and creative ecosystems all in one. Here are seven Mini Apps with the highest monthly active users, search volumes, and leaderboard rankings in the Telegram Mini App Store. Together, they define how Web3 is accessed, played, and built directly within chat.
1. Blum (BLUM)
Source: Blum X (Twitter)Category: Trading / Launchpad
Users: ~43 million monthly active users
Blum (BLUM) is a frictionless DeFi launchpad built entirely into Telegram. Users can swap tokens, launch memecoins, farm points, and even access AI-assisted strategies without leaving the chat interface. Its streamlined UX removes the need for browser wallets, private keys, or app installations, making it especially appealing for new users entering the crypto world through social tools.
With more than 43 million monthly active users and active support for over 45 chains, Blum is rapidly emerging as the center of Telegram-native DeFi activity. Backed by Binance Labs and TOP, the project has consistently driven engagement through product-focused events, including its upcoming BLUM token launch. As of mid-2025, Blum is widely considered a flagship Mini App that is reshaping how users experience finance, discovery, and creation in one unified space.
2. Notcoin (NOT)
Source: Notcoin.orgCategory: Tap-to-Earn, Social Game
Users: 35 million+
Notcoin (NOT) redefined what a "crypto game" could be by turning a simple tap into a viral movement. Players tapped coins to accumulate points, later redeemable for real tokens, and engaged in quests and team-based challenges that encouraged social participation. By integrating Web3 mechanics with chat-native interaction, Notcoin created a new behavioral format for onboarding users into crypto.
The project quickly grew to over 35 million users and triggered one of the largest token launches in the TON ecosystem. More than just a game, Notcoin is now seen as a foundational template for future Mini Apps, showing that deep adoption does not need complexity it needs simplicity, timing, and community. Its social architecture and protocol ambitions continue to evolve as the broader ecosystem learns from its success.
3. Hamster Kombat (HMSTR)
Source: Hamster Kombat Game
Category: GameFi, Tap-to-Earn
Users: ~27 million active players
Hamster Kombat (HMSTR) brings playful absurdity to blockchain. You play as a hamster CEO running a crypto exchange, upgrading operations and earning rewards through strategic taps, referrals, and mini-puzzles. The visuals are simple, but the game mechanics are sticky and surprisingly deep, turning idle time into an engaging narrative of memetic power. At its peak, the game reached approximately 300 million users, though this number has since declined significantly to around 27 million active users.
Now with a massive global fanbase, Hamster Kombat has grown into one of the most recognizable crypto-native brands on Telegram, though it has experienced substantial user decline in recent months. The HMSTR token is already live, and new seasons of content continue to expand the game's reach across platforms like YouTube and in-app integrations.
4. Catizen (CATI)
Source: Catizen Official Site
Category: GameFi, Merge Game
Users: ~34 million
Catizen (CATI) combines cozy mobile gameplay with blockchain incentives. Players merge adorable cats to unlock rare breeds, earn CATI tokens, and take part in seasonal events and community-driven missions. Its appeal lies not only in the art style and simplicity but also in its ability to deliver genuine daily engagement that feels fun and rewarding rather than extractive.
With over 34 million total users and a staggering 7 million daily active players, Catizen has demonstrated remarkable retention in a notoriously churn-heavy genre. It has processed more than 30 million on-chain transactions and supports a healthy economy of over 2 million wallets. Catizen's consistent performance and emotional design have helped it become one of the most beloved long-term titles in the TON GameFi universe.
5. X Empire (X)
Source: X Empire Official Site
Category: Tap-to-Earn, Strategy Game
Users: ~36 million
X Empire (X), formerly Musk Empire, gamifies influence and strategy through a satirical lens. Players build empires, accumulate power, and compete in limited-time events to earn digital rewards. It is part tapping game, part meme simulation, and part commentary on celebrity culture delivered on an interface that even crypto novices can grasp instantly.
Since launch, X Empire has brought in more than 36 million users and helped onboard over 18 million TON wallets, showcasing its effectiveness as a distribution and engagement mechanism. The X token is already live, and while gameplay has paused during its airdrop phase, the project continues to be a reference point for how Mini Apps can combine viral appeal, wallet growth, and token incentives into a seamless experience.
6. Major (MAJOR)
Source: Major Official Site
Category: Social-Gamified Web3
Users: ~70 million
Major (MAJOR) is Telegram's first large-scale experiment in turning social behavior into tokenized value. Players earn Stars by chatting, completing tasks, and solving puzzles, which feed into rankings and rewards. It transforms everyday interactions into something gamified, with clear progress and incentives for consistent participation rather than speculation or luck.
With over 70 million total users and about 40 million monthly actives, Major has established itself as a leading lifestyle app in Web3. Its MAJOR token launched in late 2024 and is now fully integrated across the TON ecosystem, including liquidity on STON.fi. Endorsed by Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who holds a symbolic 1% stake locked for 10 years, Major represents a social model of Web3 engagement where value is earned gradually and playfully, not simply bought.
7. STON.fi
Source: Ston.fi Official Site
Category: DeFi / DEX
Users: ~4.7 million wallets
STON.fi (STON) is the quiet engine behind much of TON's on-chain economy. As a Telegram-native DEX, it enables swaps, liquidity provision, and yield farming directly inside chat, without requiring app-switching or technical know-how. It integrates smoothly with wallets like Tonkeeper and supports virtually all major TON-based tokens.
Since launch, STON.fi has grown to over 4.7 million wallets and processed more than $5.8 billion in cumulative swap volume. Its design philosophy prioritizes simplicity and reliability over hype, and it has become the default infrastructure layer for Telegram-native DeFi. Whether you are a new user claiming an airdrop or a veteran managing liquidity, STON.fi often plays a role quietly but indispensably.
How to Use Telegram Mini Apps: 4-Steps Simple Guide
Whether you're playing a Tap-to-Earn game, trading, or minting a memecoin, getting started takes just four simple steps.
Step 1: Set Up a TON Wallet: Use Telegram Wallet (built into Telegram at wallet.tg), Tonkeeper (download from app store), or any TON-compatible wallet. Save your seed phrase securely. Most Mini Apps will auto-connect once the wallet is ready.
Step 2: Find the App: Search for bots (e.g.,
@BlumCryptoBot), tap shared links (e.g., t.me/BlumCryptoBot), or explore via the "attachment menu" in any chat in Telegram.Step 3: Launch and Interact: Tap “Start” to open the Mini App. You can tap, play, trade, or complete tasks depending on the app’s function.
Step 4: Earn and Withdraw: Complete missions to earn points or tokens. Connect your wallet when prompted to claim rewards or airdrops directly in Telegram.
How to Avoid Telegram Scams: Safety Tips for Mini Apps
Telegram Mini Apps are fast, fun, and easy to use, but like any part of the crypto space, they also come with risks. As Mini Apps gain popularity, scammers are creating fake bots, phishing links, and misleading airdrops to take advantage of new users. Staying safe is simple if you know what to look for.
Here are some key tips to protect yourself while using Telegram Mini Apps:
1. Only Use Verified Bots: Always double-check the bot’s username and look for the official checkmark. Scam bots often use similar names to impersonate popular apps.
2. Avoid Suspicious Links: Do not click on links from unknown users or unofficial Telegram groups. Stick to links shared in official announcements, trusted websites, or the built-in Mini App menu.
3. Never Share Your Seed Phrase: No real bot, app, or admin will ever ask for your wallet’s seed phrase. If someone does, it is a scam. Keep it private at all times.
4. Watch Out for Fake Airdrops: Scammers often create fake airdrop bots that promise large rewards if you connect a wallet or send crypto. Always verify snapshots and airdrop timelines from the official channel.
5. Use a Separate Wallet for Mini Apps: To minimize risk, consider using a wallet just for interacting with Mini Apps. This helps keep your main assets safe in case you run into any issues.
Final Thoughts
Telegram Mini Apps are transforming how people experience crypto. By combining familiar chat interfaces with powerful on-chain features, they make blockchain more usable, social, and viral than ever before. Whether you're here to tap coins, trade tokens, or explore new digital economies, Mini Apps offer a new way to participate, right where the world is already talking.
As the TON ecosystem grows, we are likely to see even more apps, experiments, and opportunities emerge inside Telegram. For users, that means less friction, more fun, and a smoother path into Web3. Just remember to stay curious, stay cautious, and explore one tap at a time.