A growing use case is the app’s integration with platforms like TG Casino, which uses Telegram’s ecosystem to provide a comprehensive experience for sports betting and casino gaming. By incorporating cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, TG Casino creates a secure and decentralized gaming experience, attracting tech-savvy users from around the world. Modern casino apps like it are growing in stature among iGamers as they offer a range of benefits like instant withdrawals, faster registrations, and generous bonuses (source: https://www.tg.casino/).

This is one of the innovative approaches that highlights Telegram’s potential as an all-in-one platform. Boasting approximately 950 million monthly users and having raised more than $4 billion since the app’s launch, the sky’s the limit for Telegram as it transforms into a comprehensive platform. The CEO of exchange and wallet provider Bitget, Gracy Chen, highlighted Telegram’s unique relationship with decentralized Open Network (TON), allowing for crypto trading and blockchain integration.

According to Chen, this TON integration is an important factor that could turn Telegram into a go-to platform for billions worldwide, specifically in emerging markets. The CEO went on to say that crypto adoption is something that makes Telegram stand out among other social media. This is certainly true when you consider that Bitget’s own wallet on Telegram has gained millions of users’ attention, which showcases a strong interest in the crypto and financial functionalities that Telegram is building alongside TON.

Telegram has seen significant growth in Africa, especially in Egypt and Nigeria where approximately 54 percent of individuals aged 16-64 were using Telegram. Part of Telegram’s rapid adoption was fueled by engaging tap-to-earn mini-games. However, Chen states that these games are only a short-term strategy. Similar to WeChat’s adoption plans in the app’s early days, users were initially drawn to the app’s games but continued using it for its core messaging and financial features, making it indispensable over time.

Telegram is aiming to get the same result. The Bitget CEO’s views are corroborated by the sharp decline in Telegram’s users playing these tap-to-earn apps. As of early November, Telegram’s popular tap-to-earn game, Hamster Kombat, lost 86 percent of its player base after the game’s popularity peaked with more than 300 million users in July 2024.

As Telegram continues to expand its features and functionality, the app’s collaboration with TON offers a unique opportunity to bring more people into the digital finance space. And this trend is catching the attention of companies and researchers alike. In October, crypto trading firm GSR released findings that showcased the potential of TON to onboard users into decentralized finance and crypto. As the app’s functions grow, Telegram continues on a path to becoming a “super app,” fundamentally changing the way people around the world, from Cairo to New Ulm, digitally interact and transact.