Nikolas Sargeant
In an announcement by CEO Pavel Durov on Thursday, it was revealed that with Stars, mini apps can accept payments for digital services. Developers can also exchange their Stars for Toncoin (TON), the token of The Open Network, through the Fragment exchange.
On Wednesday, TON saw a notable increase, rising 10% and securing a position among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
“Mini app developers can withdraw their Stars via Fragment using TON,” Durov wrote. “They can also use Stars to further promote their apps on Telegram — on preferential terms!”
This initiative follows a surge in Telegram’s mini apps, with millions of users joining daily. One mini app gaining significant traction on Telegram is Hamster Kombat. In this simulation game, players enhance their exchange income by purchasing “upgrade cards” and completing quests.
Last week, Hamster Kombat announced it had gained millions of subscribers, becoming the No.1 channel on Telegram in terms of user count.
Durov highlighted that the recent mini app boom has positioned the messaging platform as the premier destination for launching new apps. “Stars and ad subsidies elevate this to a new level – unprecedented in social media history.”
Apple & Google Get Commission from Telegram Stars
Durov also mentioned that Apple and Google would take a 30% commission when users buy Stars through their platforms.
However, he noted that Telegram would subsidize ads purchased with Stars, meaning developers who reinvest Stars to promote their apps would avoid this commission.
“This makes launching apps on Telegram more economically viable than traditional mobile app launches.” In April, Telegram partnered with stablecoin issuer Tether to launch USDT on the TON blockchain, aiming to increase crypto adoption through the platform.
