How TG mini app projects are exploiting their userbase

Introduction

The Telegram Mini App ecosystem has seen rapid growth, with many apps vying for user attention. However, a significant portion of these Mini Apps are built on shaky foundations, lacking real value or utility. These apps often rely on exploitative mechanisms like "tap-to-earn" schemes and airdrop campaigns, which ultimately serve more as a way to generate fees and inflate user engagement rather than offering any meaningful service or ecosystem. In contrast, the few Mini Apps that focus on building a comprehensive suite of tools and products are the ones that are poised to succeed in the long run.

The Illusion of Value: Tap-to-Earn and Airdrop Farming

A large number of Telegram Mini Apps have adopted solely offering a "tap-to-earn" model, which is inherently flawed due to its lack of underlying value. In these apps, users are encouraged to engage in repetitive, low-effort tasks—such as tapping the screen endlessly—to earn in-game tokens or rewards. While these activities might seem engaging at first, they offer no real value or utility to the user. Instead, they are designed primarily to generate fees for the developers by keeping users active within the app, often leading to in-app purchases or the accumulation of transaction fees when tokens are eventually traded or sold​.

These Mini Apps often conclude their campaigns with airdrop farming, where users are given free tokens as a reward for their participation. However, these tokens typically have little to no value outside the app's ecosystem—if one even exists. The reality is that many of these apps are not backed by a sustainable ecosystem or a suite of useful products. Once the airdrop campaign ends, the user base often dwindles, leaving the app with no lasting impact or utility. The primary purpose of these airdrop campaigns is to create a short-term buzz and inflate the app’s perceived value, but this is not sustainable​(

The Fate of Hollow Projects

Projects that rely solely on these exploitative tactics are doomed to fail because they do not offer anything of real substance to their users. Without a genuine ecosystem—comprising tools, products, or services that provide ongoing value—these apps quickly lose relevance. Users, recognizing that they have been lured into a system that offers no long-term benefits, abandon the app as soon as the superficial rewards dry up or a new trend emerges. This pattern is evident in the numerous failed Mini Apps that once saw brief surges in popularity but have since faded into obscurity. They turn into Zombie Mini Apps.

Building a Sustainable Ecosystem: The Path to Success

In contrast, the Mini Apps that are likely to succeed are those that invest in building a robust ecosystem. These apps go beyond simple gamification or token rewards by offering a comprehensive suite of tools and products that provide real value to their users. For instance, some Mini Apps integrate seamlessly with other Telegram features, offer financial tools that are genuinely useful, or create platforms for social interaction that extend beyond the superficial. These apps are not just about generating quick profits for the developers; they aim to create a sustainable environment where users are continually engaged because they see real benefits​

Conclusion

The Telegram Mini App ecosystem is currently flooded with projects that lack real value, relying instead on exploitative tactics like tap-to-earn models and airdrop farming. These apps may generate short-term engagement and fees, but they are ultimately unsustainable and destined to fail. The future of the ecosystem lies with those Mini Apps that are committed to building a meaningful suite of tools and products, creating real value for users, and fostering long-term engagement. These are the projects that will thrive, while those offering only empty promises will eventually disappear.