Tap-to-earn games defined a key crypto trend in 2024, concentrated on Telegram and the TON blockchain. Users tapped buttons, completed tasks, and referred friends to earn points that later converted into tokens via airdrops. Despite attracting tens of millions of users, nearly every token collapsed within months of listing.
Notcoin: Pioneer Down 80%+
Notcoin launched in January 2024 as a simple tap bot. Its TGE occurred on May 16, 2024, with listings on Binance, OKX, and Bybit. Total supply stood at 102.45 billion NOT, with 97% unlocked at launch. The community airdrop accounted for 78-80%. Peak market cap hit $2.22 billion on June 6, followed by a sharp decline of over 80%.
Hamster Kombat: 300 Million Users, 90% Rout
Launched March 26, 2024, Hamster Kombat let players manage a virtual crypto exchange. It reached over 300 million users in five months. TGE was delayed from July to September 26, 2024. Total supply: 100 billion HMSTR, circulating: 64.37 billion. Community allocation: 60-75%. Peak market cap of $560 million collapsed to a fraction, losing more than 90%.
Catizen: Cat-Themed, Smaller Drop
Catizen started open beta in March 2024, featuring cat collection and city management with staking. TGE on September 20, 2024 via Binance Launchpool. Total supply: 1 billion CATI, with 45% circulating at launch. Team and investors locked for 12 months, then linear release over 48 months. This "sustainable quarterly distribution" avoided a one-shot airdrop. Peak market cap of $394 million fell roughly 70%.
TapSwap: Africa-Favored, Weak Debut
TapSwap began in February 2024, popular in Africa and Southeast Asia. Players tapped, watched videos, and entered daily codes. TGE repeatedly delayed from October 2024 to February 17, 2025. Total supply: 1 billion TAPS, self-reported circulating: 490 million (unverified). Extensive anti-bot audits preceded distribution. Peak market cap reached only $40 million and has since declined.
CEX.IO Power Tap: No Token Route
CEX.IO launched Power Tap in May 2024 as a mining simulator. Users earned CEXP, an in-game activity metric with no market price. The farming phase ended, and final rewards moved to becexy.io. This approach avoided token price collapse, but participant outcomes depend on becexy.io's reward allocation.
Every project that held a TGE saw its token fall significantly from peak. The pattern stems from billion-token supplies, high circulating percentages at launch, and selling pressure from users. Tap-to-earn brought a new category of crypto apps to Telegram and attracted hundreds of millions, but the tokens largely failed to hold value.