Telegram, with over 400 million users interacting with bots and mini-apps monthly, is more than just a messaging app. People use it to buy products, access services, and play games. With the new update, bots and mini apps can now sell digital goods and services, including e-learning resources and digital art.
Stars can be purchased through in-app purchases on Apple and Google platforms or via PremiumBot, and can be used to buy digital products offered by various bots. Telegram plans to enhance Stars further, introducing features like gifts for content creators. Telegram has a clever solution to offset the commission costs for developers using Stars to promote their apps within Telegram.
This makes launching and promoting apps on Telegram more cost-effective than on traditional mobile platforms. Durov even called it “unprecedented in the history of social media.” Hamster Kombat, a crypto management simulation game, has gathered 60 million users since its launch in March.
With the introduction of Telegram Stars, new app possibilities are even more promising. Telegram has been making strides in the crypto space, with plans for developers to withdraw their earned Stars in TON, Telegram’s preferred cryptocurrency. The surge in TON is partly due to increased whale activity, with transactions over $100,000 spiking by 237.5% on June 3, just days before the launch of Telegram Stars.
With Telegram Stars lowering promotion costs, developers are likely to flood the platform with new and innovative apps, creating a new type of marketplace. This could lead to more partnerships and integrations within the crypto space, further cementing Telegram’s role in the digital economy.