Web3 with Sam Kamani

234: Building Web3 Communities That Stick—Jack from TON Society on Growth, Games & Engagement

12 Mar 2025

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How do we bring the next billion users into Web3?So many crypto projects have promised mass adoption, but most new users don’t stick around. What if we could change that?In this episode of Web3 with Sam Kamani, I sit down with Jack from TON Society to discuss: ✅ Why Telegram’s ecosystem is key to onboarding millions✅ How TON Society is using gamification to build sticky communities ✅ The success of TON-based viral mini-apps & games ✅ What most crypto projects get wrong about user retention ✅ How to make Web3 invisible—so mass adoption can happenTON’s ecosystem is growing fast—this episode will give you insights into why!Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces Jack from TON Society and the discussion on crypto onboarding, gamification & community-building.[00:01:00] What is TON Society?A community-driven movement focused on developers & creatorsWhy TON leans into Telegram’s activist cultureTON’s mission: Frictionless transactions & global accessibility[00:03:00] Jack’s Journey into TON SocietyTON Society started as grassroots events but grew to a global movementRunning 182+ events worldwide, onboarding thousands of developersWhy community-driven growth is TON’s core strategy[00:05:00] TON’s Expansion in the US & AsiaUS expansion plans with a friendlier crypto regulatory landscapeWhy Asia’s developer ecosystem is perfect for TON’s super app modelHow WeChat, Grab & Kakao prepared Asia for Telegram’s mini-apps[00:07:00] Why Telegram’s Distribution Model is a Game-ChangerTON leverages Telegram’s unique viral mechanicsWhy TON mini-apps scale faster than traditional Web3 dAppsNo algorithmic censorship—every user sees content directly[00:10:00] The Virality of TON Mini-AppsHow Notcoin reached 35M users in 3 monthsHamster Kombat: 300M+ users in six monthsWhy Telegram’s viral sharing beats traditional social media algorithms[00:12:00] The Problem With Incentivized GrowthTON’s rapid growth attracted new users—but they didn’t stickHow airdrops & tap-to-earn lead to high churn ratesThe key to sustainable adoption: strong post-airdrop utility[00:14:00] TON’s Sustainable Growth ModelHow Bloom’s DEX & MemePad strategy retains usersWhy tokens need real-world utility to avoid mass exitsWhat Web3 projects must learn from failed incentive programs[00:16:00] Gamifying Web3 Adoption: Open League & Hackers LeagueHow TON Society’s competitions bring in high-quality developersHackathons fueling TON’s developer ecosystemWhy Web3 needs better onboarding experiences for builders[00:18:00] TON’s Big Bet: Skill-Based Gaming & Crypto AdoptionSkill-based competitions vs. Meme coins—why retention is 6x higherHow TON’s gaming tournaments could drive real Web3 engagementThe missing piece: fun, sustainable, & rewarding games[00:22:00] Why Crypto Needs to Be Invisible for Mass AdoptionThe biggest misconception in Web3: people don’t care about profitConvenience > Decentralization (for the average user)Why Web3 should work in the background, like any other tech[00:27:00] TON’s Next Phase: Onboarding Household IPBringing major gaming IPs into TON’s mini-app ecosystemHow TON is targeting mainstream entertainment brandsWhy traditional US-based IP might not be the future of gaming[00:30:00] Final Thoughts & Call to ActionTON Society is running more hackathons & looking for great buildersInvestors & projects looking to get involved in TON’s ecosystemHow to connect with TON Society & start buildingConnecthttps://society.ton.org/https://www.linkedin.com/company/ton-society/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacbooth/https://x.com/ton_societyhttps://x.com/jbfxdotmeDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

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Web3 with Sam Kamani

Web3 with Sam Kamani

234: Building Web3 Communities That Stick—Jack from TON Society on Growth, Games & Engagement

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Web3 with Sam Kamani

349: Inside Openfort: Fixing Wallets, Crypto UX and Privacy, and the Road to 2026 with Guest Speaker Joan Alavedra

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