OKX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has unveiled OKX Racer, a new free-to-play game on Telegram that challenges users to predict Bitcoin’s price movements in five-second intervals. This makes OKX the first major centralized crypto exchange to launch a Telegram mini-app, capitalizing on the growing trend of tap-to-earn games on the popular messaging platform, which has around 900 million users.
OKX Racer follows the simple format of other clicker games on Telegram, such as Hamster Kombat, Notcoin, and Yescoin. Players predict whether Bitcoin’s price will “moon” (increase) or “doom” (decrease) over the next five seconds. Correct guesses earn points, with multipliers for consecutive wins. Players can also earn referral rewards and use points for in-game upgrades.
“Telegram’s mini-app platform is quickly becoming essential for engaging the crypto community,” said Jason Lau, Chief Innovation Officer at OKX. “At OKX, we aim to embrace user-friendly, interoperable platforms that build communities, incentivize participation, and encourage fun. OKX Racer is our first step into Telegram Mini-Apps, and we hope it’s a hit for users and adds value to the growing community.”
While OKX has not specified any incentive model for OKX Racer, such games typically attract players with the expectation of airdrops of game-related tokens launched on the TON blockchain, which is closely linked to Telegram. For instance, Notcoin airdropped over 80 billion TON-based tokens to its players in May.
OKX Racer is not the first game based on Bitcoin’s price movements. In 2019, the Solana-based derivatives betting platform Hxro launched a similar game predicting Bitcoin’s price over five-minute intervals.
Last week, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced plans to enhance its blockchain initiatives by introducing a mini-app store and an in-app browser with Web3 support. “2024 will be remembered as the year when hundreds of millions became familiar with blockchain. We’re proud that Telegram is at the center of this transformation,” Durov posted on his Telegram channel.