Play-to-earn is a gaming model in which a user can receive rewards for active participation in gameplay. Depending on the game, the conditions for earning income may vary, but the essence is the same everywhere: the more you play, the more you earn.
In the TON ecosystem, Play-to-Earn games have become widespread thanks to integration with Telegram, a low barrier to entry, and the use of Toncoin as the base economic asset.
Why Toncoin became the leading player in the Play-to-Earn market
Unlike classic Web3 games, where users have to install separate applications, create a wallet, buy tokens and figure out complex mechanics, everything is much simpler in the TON ecosystem.
Many P2E games in the TON ecosystem run directly inside Telegram. This has significantly lowered the barrier to entry for people unfamiliar with the space and given users the opportunity to get acquainted with cryptocurrencies without installing separate apps.
There is another important point that sets TON apart from other projects that support play-to-earn: the network's high performance.
TON was designed to accommodate the scale of the Telegram audience. It uses a model called sharding (dividing the load into segments). This helps process a large number of transactions in parallel.
Even if a player doesn't perform transactions every minute, the various mechanics implemented in P2E games still create significant load. For example, in such games a user will frequently claim rewards, receive currency airdrops, withdraw funds, swap tokens, and so on. That's why network performance is a very important aspect.
Key distinguishing elements of P2E in TON
When people talk about Play-to-Earn in general, they most often think of how this mechanic is implemented in major projects such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, or Solana. P2E in the TON ecosystem is built on a different logic.
Telegram mini-apps as the basis for P2E in TON
The main advantage of play-to-earn on TON is that games run inside the messenger overlay: Telegram mini-apps.
P2E game in the TON ecosystem:
- does not require installation of a separate application;
- runs inside Telegram;
- looks like a bot or an embedded web application.
For the user, this greatly simplifies the onboarding process. In a traditional P2E project on another blockchain you need to install the game separately, register, and connect a wallet, whereas in games within the TON ecosystem the user only needs to follow a link to the game or launch it via Telegram mini-apps.
It often happens that a player initially doesn't even know it's possible to earn money in the game. They sometimes only realize this when they see a way to cash out the in-game currency.
Access to a large audience
Most P2E projects target an already existing crypto audience. TON developers, however, focus on ordinary Telegram users who may not know what cryptocurrency is and have never used wallets.
That's precisely why idle games and clickers have become so popular within TON. They are very well suited to a mass audience that, for the most part, has no connection to cryptocurrency.
For example, projects like Notcoin have shown by their success that P2E can be interesting not only to Web3 enthusiasts, but also to ordinary users.
Quick crypto onboarding through a game
Another important feature of P2E in the TON ecosystem is that through games ordinary users gradually become familiar with cryptocurrency. In other words, games often lack complex mechanics and cluttered interfaces.
Typically, a user's immersion into the world of decentralized finance looks like this:
- The user simply starts playing the game;
- As you progress, the game offers to link a TON wallet;
- The user creates a wallet directly in Telegram or connects Tonkeeper;
- Once the player connects their wallet, they can exchange in-game currency for Toncoin.
Ultimately, the game becomes an entry point into Web3, rather than a way to earn money. This approach is significantly different from classic P2E models, where the wallet and blockchain are the foundation from the very beginning.
The economy is built on the player's attention
In many P2E projects on other networks, the emphasis is on complex economies. In other words, you often encounter a wide variety of NFT characters or other NFT items, a large in-game marketplace, and so on. Games within TON more often use a different model.
The main currency here is the player's attention and time. That is, the user receives rewards not for active investments and trading, but for their engagement and activity. Often in-game currency within the TON ecosystem can be obtained by completing simple tasks. Also, many P2E projects, such as X Empire and MemeFi Coin, give their users airdrops (allowing all users to receive cryptocurrency over a certain period of time).
All this makes games simpler, but at the same time less predictable in terms of returns.
TON as a platform for mass Web3 onboarding through P2E and gamification
Thus TON became not just a blockchain implementing play-to-earn mechanics, but a platform for the mass onboarding of ordinary users into the world of cryptocurrencies. Here Toncoin serves as a bridge between games, the Telegram messenger, and the entire Web3 infrastructure.
Unlike classic blockchain games aimed at a narrow audience, TON offers a model in which the game itself is primary and crypto is secondary. The user first interacts with the game's interface inside the messenger, and only later, if they wish, connects a wallet and begins to withdraw in-game currency. This approach enables millions of people to experience interacting with the blockchain for the first time without needing to deal with complex technical details.
Toncoin performs several key functions simultaneously in this system.
- it serves as the ecosystem's base currency;
- TON is used to pay for transactions, interact with smart contracts, and access other Web3 services within the ecosystem.
Ultimately, P2E in TON serves less as a source of income and more as a mechanism for onboarding and learning.
Implementation of NFTs in games on TON
NFT itself is a digital asset. It is some kind of in-game item that can be sold to another player for cryptocurrency.
Games in the TON ecosystem that use NFTs aren't very common, but they've been increasing recently.
An important distinction of TON's approach to NFTs is that players can interact with NFTs more easily. A user can receive an NFT for free or earn one through in-game activity. This makes the model more beginner-friendly.
In other words, a user can initially just play an entertaining game with no way to earn anything. However, if they enjoy the game and spend a lot of time progressing, there’s a chance to receive an NFT and use it to make a profit.
Thus, NFTs in games within TON become not a mandatory element, but an additional layer of engagement.
Main types of P2E games in the TON ecosystem: clickers, idle games and PvP/action projects
Play-to-Earn in the TON ecosystem is highly diverse. Mostly these are games with simple gameplay, but it was precisely this that enabled P2E projects to quickly reach beyond the crypto community and attract a mainstream audience.
Let's look at the most common formats.
Clicker games
Tap-to-earn — the most recognizable P2E mechanic used in the TON ecosystem. Its core idea is simple: the user performs basic actions (taps the screen) and earns in-game points or tokens, which can then be converted into Toncoin.
Projects like Notcoin and X Empire have shown that a clicker can become an entry point into the world of digital assets for tens of millions of users. The main condition is a clear and fair distribution of rewards at the end of the season.
In most such games, you cannot immediately withdraw the currency. Players typically accumulate points, increase their ranking or level up their account, and receive the cryptocurrency at the end of the season.
Tap-to-earn employs an attention distribution mechanism. Players spend their time playing, the project gains broad reach and active audience growth, and Toncoin or related tokens serve as the final form of value.
Idle-games
In these games the player builds and develops their own world (a base, a farm, etc.). Here you need to construct and upgrade income sources (mines, plantations), improve character attributes, and increase the base’s productivity.
A good example of a game that implements this mechanic is Catizen. Here players collect and level up virtual cats that, over time, begin to generate income.
Unlike clicker games, idle games allow users to set up a system for earning passive income.
Important detail: in most TON projects, a player's earnings are paid not in Toncoin but in the game's internal token. The user can then convert that currency into crypto or use it to develop within the project.
PvP and action games in the TON ecosystem
Alongside clickers and idle games, a separate segment of PvP and action games is gradually taking shape within the TON ecosystem. These are projects where the primary focus is not on accumulating resources but on direct player-to-player interaction.
Unlike classic P2E games on other blockchains, the PvP format on TON is largely casual. This is a conscious choice by many developers. After all, games need to work well inside Telegram and be easy for a broad audience to understand.
In such games, rewards are more often tied to a player's specific result or ranking, which makes the PvP format more competitive compared to clicker and idle games.
A good example of an action game in the TON ecosystem is PixelTap.
Overall, PvP and action games play an important role — they expand the genre diversity of P2E in the ecosystem.
Popular P2E games in the TON ecosystem
Catizen
In Catizen, players raise virtual pets and take care of them. Eventually the pets begin to generate income in the form of in-game currency. The higher a pet's level, the more funds it generates. The in-game currency can be converted into the project's token, CATI, which can then be exchanged for TON.
PixelTap
PixelTap — a fighting game that differs significantly from traditional clickers. Players compete with each other and upgrade their fighters. For victories and various in-game actions, users receive in-game currency that can be converted into PIXFI and then exchanged for Toncoin.
MemeFi Coin
MemeFi Coin is a classic clicker game set in the world of crypto-memes. Each meme appears as a boss that the community fights together to earn rewards. During these battles, users accumulate in-game tokens — MEMEFI, which can be converted into TON.
P2E economy in the TON ecosystem: seasons, airdrops, and the role of Toncoin as the final asset
In P2E projects within the TON ecosystem, the gameplay itself is less important than the value-distribution model. Unlike classic games of this type, where crypto can be withdrawn immediately, most TON projects use a seasonal economy.
Thus, in-game progress and activity are converted into real value only at the final stage of the project's life. And the main element of this model is Toncoin.
Seasonal model as the basis of TON's P2E economy
Most P2E projects in the TON ecosystem are structured as seasons. A season is a time-limited period during which a user plays, completes tasks, accumulates points, and increases their “weight” relative to others.
The value of in-game currency is nominal. Points and in-game tokens most often have no market price until the end of the season. This enables projects to scale their audience without budget loss and to manage distribution rules effectively.
From the user's perspective, the seasonal model shifts the player's focus from the idea of getting instant profits to a more realistic one: at the end of the season there is a chance to receive money.
Airdrops as a mechanism for distributing value
An airdrop is the distribution of cryptocurrency among players at the end of a season. That is, the developers evaluate each participant's contribution and reward them based on how far the player managed to progress.
For the most part, airdrops do not guarantee that a player will definitely receive a reward. It all depends on how much effort and time the user has actually invested in developing the project.
Seasonal airdrops are usually issued once — at the final stage of the season or game cycle.
How are in-game tokens connected to Toncoin
The key feature of the P2E economy of TON is the use of a multi-stage model of value distribution. In other words, such games have their own in-game currencies or tokens. Players earn these during gameplay. Then, either these tokens are tallied by developers and converted into crypto that is distributed to players as an airdrop, or the game includes a model for exchanging tokens for Toncoin.
Tokens can also be used in the game itself for progression and leveling up.
Toncoin in such games serves as the final settlement unit to which in-game activity can be converted. Even if TON is not used directly in the game, it still exists at the level of liquidity and as a bridge to the real crypto-economy.
How to earn in P2E games within the TON ecosystem?
The P2E economy in TON is built around seasons, airdrops, and the gradual conversion of in-game activity into a liquid asset. Toncoin serves as the glue, linking games, the Telegram messenger, and Web3 infrastructure. Thanks to this model, P2E projects in TON can actively grow and evolve for years without going bankrupt.
Therefore, to earn by playing play-to-earn games within the TON ecosystem, you need to spend a lot of time in the project, actively develop and keep up with all the news. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll receive anything, but if your contribution is truly substantial, the developers will appreciate it and may reward you.
Summary: the role of P2E in the TON ecosystem and the importance of Toncoin
Play-to-Earn in the TON ecosystem is not just a means of monetization, but a full-fledged model for mass onboarding of users into the crypto space. Unlike traditional Web3 games aimed at a narrow audience, TON focuses on simplicity and accessibility for everyone.
Clicker games, idle games and NFT projects on TON reward players not for investments but for their attention. The economy of most of these projects is built around seasonal cryptocurrency distribution, where Toncoin serves as the final settlement unit and a bridge between gameplay and Web3 infrastructure.
It's important to understand that P2E in TON does not guarantee a stable income. However, by playing such games you can get acquainted with cryptocurrency, spend your time enjoyably, and possibly earn your first money with digital assets.
