Catizen, a gaming bot built on The Open Network and integrated with Telegram, is poised to contribute to the mass adoption of Web3 through its play-to-airdrop model. As Web3 continues to grow, it requires new users to sustain its expansion. To onboard more users from Web2, projects are utilizing Telegram as a middle ground between the two digital spaces. With nearly 1 billion users worldwide, Telegram offers a glimpse into the blockchain ecosystem through its integration with The Open Network and support of Web3.
Catizen is a Telegram-based gaming bot that aims to introduce Web3 to a wider audience by leveraging mini games and practical mobile payments. By utilizing Telegram’s traffic, Catizen establishes a presence in the Web3 space that can attract the platform’s broader social ecosystem. The game operates on the play-to-airdrop model, where playing games on the Catizen platform leads to airdrops for players. The development team has focused on fine-tuning the user experience to ensure an engaging and intuitive interaction through easy-to-use interfaces.
The game world of Catizen is set in an open digital Meowverse, with a cat-focused theme. Each player receives a digital cat that serves as their credentials to access the Launchpool in Catizen. As players progress in the game, they can upgrade their cats by merging them to climb the leaderboard and potentially earn higher returns.
Players can spend FishCoins, the game’s digital currency, to fish and earn additional rewards. FishCoins can be earned by inviting new players to Catizen and completing in-game tasks. Once a cat reaches a certain level, it can be staked as a personal asset in the game’s Launchpool for returns. The last Launchpool is open to every user with at least 1,000 FishCoins or a level 110 cat, although requirements may vary for different Launchpools.
Since its public beta launch in March 2024, Catizen has built a community of over 11 million players globally. The game has over 1.7 million daily active users and around 750,000 on-chain players. Catizen boasts a higher on-chain participation rate of 7% among its total users, compared to Telegram’s crypto conversion rate of only 0.66%. This means that a higher percentage of Catizen users engage in crypto transactions or activities on the platform.
Catizen has the potential to become a significant traffic gateway for Web3 through its gaming platform. Users act as decentralized distribution channels, supporting applications across the entire ecosystem. Its rapid growth is evident in TON blockchain’s official The Open League season rankings, where Catizen has won the reward for both seasons in the app battle, competing for a $500,000 prize pool.
Since its release, Catizen has seen about $10 million worth of in-game asset purchases distributed across various crypto tokens, including TON, NOT, MNT, and USDT. Moving forward, Catizen plans to launch its own token and establish a game center in the third quarter. The team also intends to release multiple mini-games along the way.
Catizen aims to become a mini-app center by combining its Launchpool with short videos and e-commerce. The project has already secured agreements for 18 mini-games with over 50 million downloads, including the popular online action game Hero Wars with more than 100 million downloads. The team behind Catizen has a game plan for attracting and engaging users through gamification and play-to-airdrop initiatives.
Educating Web2 users about Web3 is a crucial step in expanding the Web3 user base. Leveraging high-traffic ecosystems like Telegram to reach the masses is a good starting point. Projects that combine various aspects of digital interaction, including gameplay, e-commerce, and social networking, can demonstrate how Web3 empowers individuals by giving them control over their assets and interactions.
For those interested in exploring the TON x Telegram ecosystem, Catizen offers a compelling entry point. With its engaging gameplay and active on-chain user activity, it provides a unique experience within the Web3 playground.