Probably Nothing: A Deep Dive on NOTcoin

Clicker games are neither innovative nor uncommon, not even in the cryptocurrency industry. So, why has a clicker game with a meme token attracted 25 million players within two months of its launch? The story of Notcoin is indeed fascinating. It went live on January 1, 2024, as a mobile-only Telegram game that enables players to generate and earn tokens by tapping their phone screens repeatedly.

As a meme coin, players are not even mining any actual crypto. How, then, did it garner so much attention? And should it be taken seriously as a crypto project? This deep dive answers everything you need to know about Notcoin, the latest cool kid on the block.

Notcoin: What is it?

Open Builders, the Sasha Plotvinov-led team behind Notcoin has managed to take a common gaming genre and weave into it an impressive social experience built around referrals and mining the token, all from a smartphone through Telegram. To be clear, the Notcoin token is not real, in the sense of being hosted on any actual blockchain exchange. However, there are already heightened expectations that the token may soon be launched on The Open Network (TON) blockchain given that the TON Foundation backs the Notcoin project. Then, it will become a real cryptocurrency that can be traded for cash and other assets.

A world where millions of users can mine cryptocurrency tokens by simply using their smartphones does seem very exciting. But Notcoin doesn’t seem to be looking that far ahead, at least for now. According to the coin’s co-creator, Plotvinov, the vision behind Notcoin is to achieve a fair distribution of the token in a way that adequately rewards users by the level of their contribution.

How the Game Works

Notcoin runs through Telegram and it’s only playable via mobile. This makes it so easy to set up; it’s not an official cryptocurrency yet, so you don’t need a wallet, an account on an exchange, or any fees. The basic idea behind the game is simple: the more you tap your screen, the more Notcoins you ‘mine’ and earn. Every new player receives 2,500 NOT (Notcoin token) at the beginning; if you are subscribed to Telegram Premium, you get 50,000 NOT.

There is an energy system that applies a cap to the amount of NOT a user can earn by tapping the screen before they have to refill. Initially, each click earns you 1 NOT, with a maximum of 1,000 NOT before your energy runs out. However, there are special features by which a user can maximize their earnings. You can purchase “Boosters” to increase your energy level and increase the amount of Notcoin you receive per tap for a period of time.

Randomly, a rocket appears that activates turbo mode, which means you can earn even more NOT without using up any energy. More so, you can increase your earnings by completing simple tasks. Referrals are the easiest way to earn more. But users can also join squads, which can compete with other squads or players within a squad can compete with themselves. In short, the more tasks you complete, the higher you climb through the leagues: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.

Exciting Developments

In November 2023, Notcoin was released in a closed beta, with a full launch taking place on New Year’s Day. During the beta phase, it reached over 650,000 players, with more than 60 billion Notcoin mined. It attracted 4.1 million players in the first week of its official release, and by the end of February, had surpassed 25 million followers. In fact, it gained a million followers faster than ChatGPT did! About 30 trillion NOT tokens have been ‘minted’ already and on X (formerly Twitter), the Notcoin account has over 700,000 followers. It is, by all metrics, a hugely successful effort, and it is still growing very fast.

So far, users anticipate the launch of an on-chain token on the TON blockchain, with sources reporting a March-April launch date. In a recent broadcast on X, the founders announced plans for a future airdrop but did not disclose any details. By keeping expectations low but curiosities high, Bitcoin has managed to attract immense attention from crypto gaming enthusiasts. Although the Notcoin team is not pre-selling any tokens before the official on-chain launch, in February, the derivatives trading platform, Storm Trade, which operates on the TON network introduced Pre-launch futures trading on Notcoin ahead of its official listing on a blockchain exchange. The condition for this is that the NOT token will be added to spot exchanges within three months from the start of trading. Otherwise, the futures trading will close.

Risks and Potentials

At the moment, there is no major risk with the Notcoin project since there are no real tokens and there is no actual monetary value for earnings. Any earnings within the game can only be spent on boosters. So, right now, it is just another entertaining game. Will it become a real cryptocurrency someday? Probably. When will that be? No one knows. The game’s code is open-source though, and that lends some credibility to the system of awarding coins. More so, public backing from the TON Foundation grants legitimacy to the project and gives players some hope.

However, it probably wouldn’t be entirely wise to solely rely on Notcoin as a viable investment option. It was created by a team with an obscure track record that shows no major projects and very little is known of their plans to develop the coin in the future. Typical crypto projects have basic features such as a whitepaper, an official roadmap, tokenomics, and more. More so, the primary way it acquires new players has been through a referral system, which could be easily manipulated with bots and fake accounts. For genuine crypto tokens trading and portfolio management, platforms such as Flagship Vaults remain the most trustworthy.

Conclusion

If Notcoin eventually becomes a real on-chain crypto project, these would be considered its very earliest days. It has won the hearts of several gamers already, and even if only for the sake of its high-profile backers, it is certain that key industry stakeholders and enthusiasts are watching intently to see what comes out of it.