Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the popular messaging platform will launch a mini-app store and an in-app browser with built-in Web3 support by the end of July.
Additionally, Durov announced measures to mitigate scams on the platform by displaying the month and country of registration for public-facing user accounts.
The tech entrepreneur also explained that mini apps will also be able to label channels, allowing an additional layer of decentralized, third-party verification.
The Open Network sees viral success of mini-app games
The Telegram platform and The Open Network (TON), a separate blockchain initiative, have been capturing media headlines due to the viral success of games like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin.
According to Durov, Hamster Kombat onboarded 239 million users in 81 days, highlighting the potential for blockchain games to supplement players’ income.
Hamster Kombat's in-game coins are not yet exchange-traded blockchain tokens. However, the developers behind the game plan to introduce a tradeable digital asset for Hamster Kombat in 2024.
The hype surrounding the game has opened the door to scammers using phishing attacks to prey on unsuspecting players with promises of free airdrops of fake Hamster tokens.
Following the meteoric success of several Telegram mini-app games, Notcoin and Helika Gaming announced a gaming accelerator program to facilitate the development of games on the Telegram platform. Heika provided $50 million in seed capital for the accelerator program and has already started accepting applications.
Staying safe on TON
The Open Network is an open-source, permissionless blockchain featuring all the benefits and pitfalls common to open-source systems, including phishing attacks and other scams.
In June, analysts from SlowMist, a blockchain security firm, warned about the rise of scams in the TON ecosystem.
According to SlowMist founder Yu Xian, the rise in malicious activity on the platform is primarily due to the nature of the Telegram messaging app, which features groups and chatrooms that would-be scammers leverage to propel their scams forward.