How It Started
@The Notcoin Official began in early 2024 as a simple Telegram mini-app built by Open Builders, part of The Open Network (TON). At first, it was a lighthearted experiment with a blank whitepaper as a joke. But within weeks of launching in January 2024, it had over 35 million players.
The growth came from making it as easy as possible to play. No downloads. No wallet setup. Anyone could open Telegram, tap a golden coin in a chat, and start earning in-game “$NOT ” instantly.
How the Game Worked
The gameplay was straightforward.
1. Tap-to-Earn – Every tap gave 1 Notcoin. Energy limits prevented endless tapping and recharged over time.
2. Boosts –
Turbo Mode for faster earnings
Full Energy refills (up to 3 a day)
Auto-Tap Bot for higher-ranked players
3. Social Play –
Squads for team competitions
Leagues from Bronze to Diamond
Quests & Referrals for extra rewards, with added perks for Telegram Premium users
Feature What It Does Why It Works
Tap Mining 1 tap = 1 Notcoin Simple, no learning curve
Energy System Limits taps, recharges Keeps players coming back
Turbo Mode More coins per tap Short-term earning boost
Squads Play in teams Builds community engagement
From Game Coins to Crypto
In May 2024, Notcoin moved its in-game currency to the blockchain as $NOT on TON.
Supply – 102.7 billion tokens
Conversion – 1,000 in-game Notcoins = 1 NOT token
Distribution –
78% to players who mined in the game
22% for growth, development, and liquidity
No VC sales – Most tokens went straight to the community
Recipient Share Tokens (B) Purpose
Players 78% ~80.2 Reward early users
Ecosystem Growth 9% ~9.2 New user incentives
Community Events 5% ~5.1 Tournaments & prizes
Development Team 5% ~5.1 Project funding
Liquidity 3% ~3.1 Stable trading
Why TON Was a Good Fit
Fast and cheap – TON can handle millions of transactions with low fees
Built into Telegram – Access to 800M+ users without extra apps
Gateway to Web3 – Players could trade, stake, or use NOT in other TON projects directly inside Telegram
Impact on Gaming
Notcoin lowered the barrier to blockchain gaming.
Over 70% of players were new to crypto
Token ownership gave players a stake in the project’s growth
Squads and referrals brought in millions without traditional marketing
Challenges
The tap game ended after the token launch, leaving questions about long-term engagement
Automated tapping tools were hard to fully prevent
Token price moved with the market, affecting earnings value
What’s Next
Explore-to-Earn – Players can earn by discovering new Web3 projects inside Telegram
Staking & Governance – Passive rewards and voting on project decisions
New Games – Plans to expand into more game genres using NOT
Why I Really Love It
Notcoin proved that a simple idea can bring millions into Web3. By making the game easy to access, it turned Telegram into a massive entry point for blockchain gaming.
Now, as it shifts from tapping to exploring, it’s positioning itself as a bridge for the next wave of Web3 users. For the wider GameFi space, it shows that real adoption comes from removing friction and giving players real ownership.