Nov 2023, TON integrated with Telegram(the most used app by crypto-natives on all chains?), and throughout 2024, Telegram launched a vibrant mini app infrastructure. TON brought its web3 magic to the table, creating one of the most exciting opportunities for venture building that the web3 space has ever seen. Notcoin kicked things off as a flagship project, smashing the viral mechanics with referral structures and a simple tap-to-earn model that engaged millions to earn crypto. This not only supercharged the activity on the TON blockchain but also paved the way for how to educate, onboard and activate Telegram users on-chain.
As the blockchain ecosystem grew stronger, DEX volumes picked up, and the meme scene heated up, led by REDO, the resistance dog. REDO is a classic example of community power. The dev dipped after initial traction, but the community stepped up, driving the narrative and solidifying REDO’s place as the top decentralized meme on the platform. Embodying the free-speech ethos and resistance to censorship culture of Telegram, our voice—and thus TON, our power.
Next up, the tap-to-earn model was adopted by many more projects eager to innovate. Hamster Kombat took this concept even further, bringing its own innovation to GameFi and amassing over 200 million active users. The original proposition of TON x Telegram has been proven—the distribution layer of Telegram can successfully guide hundreds of millions into the web3 ecosystem within the platform, offering a tantalizing opportunity for projects to leverage this unprecedented access to users.
But let’s not get too carried away. Hyper-growth is messy. It’s chaotic. And while TON is bringing mass adoption like we’ve never seen before, the reality isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The go-to-market strategies we’ve seen—airdrop this, presale that—are great for getting attention, but what about long-term value? Look at what’s happened on other platforms like Zealy and Galxe, as well as some of the high-profile launches of Hamster Kombat, Catizen and others. There’s a struggle to retain the value provided to early adopters. The projects that rely solely on these strategies? They’re facing brutal sell pressure at the Token Generation Event (TGE), and for many, that spells a quick death. Sure, some are offering staking rewards, trying to innovate and stay afloat, but let’s be real: attention ebbs and flows, trends come and go.
So, where does Talentgram fit into all this? Real revenue. Our belief is that the true winners on Telegram—the ones that will survive and thrive—will be the top GameFi projects that master in-app revenue but also the practice of what is currently a sleeping giant, launching proven web2 models that are infused with web3 functionality, generate revenue and offer an important utility. Our proposition is a freelance marketplace that unlocks millions of dollars in value and transactions already happening within the platform, often P2P and plagued with nefarious actors.
We’ve seen it in the last decade. The rise of remote work, the gig economy exploding. Fiverr and Upwork carved out massive market shares because they understood the demand. Now, if you’re deep in Crypto Telegram like we are, you’ve seen the huge rise in new projects and the relentless demand for project progress. It’s a constant barrage. WEN LAUNCH? WEN MARKETING? The demand is there and the ecosystem is ready.
Right now, we have a perfect storm. Telegram’s massive user base, already transacting, already building, is hungry for a platform like Talentgram. A freelancer marketplace that’s hyper-shareable, ultra-accessible, and seamlessly integrated with Telegram’s evolving payment ecosystem.
We aren’t aiming to just fill a gap; we’re aiming to redefine how business gets done on Telegram.