What is TapSwap (TAPS): the tap-to-earn mini-app with 60 million users

What if you could earn crypto simply by tapping your phone screen? Enter TapSwap, a mobile game that's making waves in the TON community by offering a fun and accessible way to get involved. With a userbase of over 60 million players, TapSwap seems to be the next big thing in the TON ecosystem as players are tapping away at their phone screens to increase their share balance.

If you're new to crypto and are keen to get involved with TapSwap, it's certainly not too late. From explaining what TapSwap is to providing helpful TapSwap tips for beginner players, here's everything you need to know about the play-to-earn clicker game that's capturing attention on the Telegram app.

TL;DR

• TapSwap is a mobile game within Telegram that lets you earn TapSwap shares simply by tapping your phone screen. These earned shares will eventually be convertible into tradeable TAPS tokens.

• Being built right in Telegram, TapSwap is simple to access and intuitive for those unfamiliar with dedicated crypto platforms.

• TapSwap goes beyond simply tapping a screen as players are encouraged to watch videos, engage with social media, and climb the in-game ranks to earn bonus shares and improve their boosters.

• While the tap-to-earn model is exciting, it's still new and growing. As such, the long-term viability of TapSwap remains unclear.

• TapSwap allows users to explore crypto in a casual and engaging way. However, it's key to approach TapSwap with realistic expectations as the mini-app isn't a guaranteed path to riches.

What is TapSwap?

TapSwap is a clicker mini-app game found within the Telegram app that the TapSwap team calls a "cutting-edge financial platform". With its simplistic tap-to-earn gameplay that allows users to earn tokens by leveraging the mini-app's various mining and community engagement features, TapSwap has garnered a massive following. This virality is particularly prominent in regions with high mobile phone penetration and a growing interest in cryptocurrencies.

Despite being previously linked to Solana, the TapSwap team has recently announced that the game will be launched on TON instead. As such, players will no longer need to connect Solana-based wallets in order to start playing TapSwap.

Understanding the tap-to-earn narrative driving TapSwap

The concept of "tap-to-earn" and how it's revolutionizing the gaming landscape might sound familiar if you're a crypto veteran. Like the play-to-earn GameFi trend that came before it, tap-to-earn mini-apps reward players with tangible crypto rewards for their in-game activities. This is as opposed to traditional games, where your achievements stay locked within the confines of the virtual world.

Tap-to-earn opens the doors for a whole new way to participate in the crypto space. No longer do you need to commit large amounts of funds or master complex trading charts — clicker games like TapSwap make earning crypto easy and accessible through a simple yet engaging gameplay loop.

How does TapSwap work? Exploring TapSwap's gameplay

Source: TapSwap

Like many other viral Telegram clicker games, TapSwap's core gameplay mechanic involves tapping on your mobile phone's screen to mine TapSwap shares. As each screen tap consumes a bit of energy, this means you can't frantically tap on your screen for unlimited points. Rather, the energy you're given regenerates over time. This energy system constraint ultimately requires you to regularly log in to TapSwap and optimally mine TapSwap shares so your full energy storage doesn't go to waste.

Daily TapSwap bonuses

TapSwap doesn't stop at just tapping — the mini-app offers daily bonuses to increase your daily share mining rate. As a whole, you're given two daily bonuses with three uses each.

The first bonus, "Taping Guru", grants you unlimited energy storage and taps that provide five times the amount of shares you'd normally gain with each tap for 20 seconds. This incentivizes you to go all-out and tap to your heart's content in order to reap maximum points.

The second bonus, "Full Tank", fully recharges your energy storage and allows you to continue tapping away without the need to wait for your energy storage to be refilled.

Additional tasks

Bonuses aside, there are also tasks to boost your earnings. This can range from subscribing to the game's social media channels to engaging with its latest YouTube videos. Overall, these activities incentivize you to engage with TapSwap's various forms of media and reward you with additional shares for your attention.

Referral bonuses

Wondering how some players have trillions of TapSwap shares stored up in their reserves? That's where TapSwap's referral bonus scheme comes in. For every user that's referred to the game by you, TapSwap offers 2,500 shares. On top of this, you're also rewarded additional shares based on how active your referred users are. With such a robust referral bonus, it's no wonder the Telegram mini-app has such a large and active community.

Why is TapSwap so popular?

Source: TapSwap

With close to 20 million daily users, TapSwap's staggering popularity can be attributed to a confluence of factors that cater specifically to a crypto-curious audience.

Accessibility

Built within the widely used Telegram app, TapSwap eliminates barriers to entry for those unfamiliar with dedicated crypto platforms. No downloads or complex setup processes are required as players simply need to launch the mini-app within Telegram. This makes it instantly accessible to a large user base.

Simple, addictive gameplay

No aiming of weapons or maneuvering across platforms are required in TapSwap's case. The core mechanic of tapping the screen is incredibly easy to understand and requires minimal mechanical knowledge. This simplicity ultimately makes it perfect for beginners who are curious about crypto but might be intimidated by more complex game mechanics that can sometimes deter players who are less familiar with traditional game mechanics.

Tap-to-earn model

The ability to earn TAPS tokens through gameplay tends to be a major draw for users. TapSwap gamifies the process of earning crypto, making it feel more engaging and rewarding to earn crypto through a game than traditional methods of trading. This "earning while playing" aspect incentivizes continued engagement.

Mobile-first experience

TapSwap's mobile-first design makes strategic sense and provides a convenient way to interact with the crypto world in regions with high mobile phone penetration. Rather than target TON users with computers, mobile phone users can effortlessly access the mini-app and tap away on their phone screens while on the go. This seamlessly integrates clicker games like TapSwap into users' daily routines as they engage with the game during their downtime.

Large and active community

TapSwap thrives on its massive user base within the Telegram platform. This fosters a sense of community and allows users to learn from each other as they share TapSwap tips, bond over common experiences, and stay updated on the latest developments in the TapSwap space.

TapSwap tips to maximize your total shares

According to the TapSwap team, at some point in time, the total shares earned in TapSwap will be converted to TAPS tokens. As such, it's important to understand how to maximize your in-game earnings. Here are some handy tricks and tips to help you along your TapSwap journey.

Improving the right boosters

To help you progress, TapSwap offers four distinct boosters that can greatly improve your mining rate. These include:

• Multitap: Improves the amount of shares you can earn per tap.

• Energy limit: Increases the limit of your energy storage.

• Recharging speed: Raises the rate at which your energy storage refills.

• Tap bot: Mines for you for up to 12 hours while you're away from TapSwap and your energy storage is full.

Of these four boosters, recharging speed and tap bot are considered by many to be the most important since they allow you to optimally mine TapSwap shares without the need to actively interact with the mini-app. This creates a scenario where you're maximizing your TapSwap share earnings even while you're asleep. As such, the core strategy among TapSwap veterans is to quickly level up recharging speed and unlock the tap bot.

Linking your socials

Remember the additional tasks we previously mentioned? To quickly get a headstart in TapSwap, join TapSwap's socials. This will net you around 1.6 million TapSwap shares, which can be put to improving your boosters and giving you a better sense of meta progression in the game.

Engaging with TapSwap's cinema

TapSwap regularly releases new video content, and watching media will grant you 200,000 TapSwap shares each. Simply engage with the videos and fill in the field with the code that randomly appears in the video to claim your reward.

Claiming your League rewards

TapSwap rewards you for climbing the ranks and increasing your shares stash by introducing a league system. Ranging from Wood to Mythic League (which sits at 50 million TapSwap shares), your total number of shares earned ultimately determines the league you're placed in. As you ascend the ranks over time, you'll also be granted bonus shares for achieving said rank. While the TapSwap team hasn't clarified how league placement will impact TAPS airdrop allocation, it doesn't hurt to check that you're actively on track with climbing up the ranks.

Is TapSwap right for you? Weighing the pros and cons

Now that you're fully aware of the mini-apps core mechanics and why it's popular, let's consider the advantages and potential drawbacks to help you decide if it's a good fit for you.

Advantages of TapSwap

As previously mentioned, the key advantage of TapSwap is that it's undeniably accessible. The simple tap-to-earn gameplay requires no prior crypto knowledge, making it the perfect entry into crypto for beginners. Additionally, the play-to-earn model offers the potential to earn real rewards, while the engaging features keep the experience fun, casual, and enjoyable for all audiences.

Potential drawbacks of committing to TapSwap

While TapSwap offers an exciting entry point to crypto, there are some potential drawbacks to consider:

• Sustainability: The play-to-earn model is relatively new, and its long-term sustainability is yet to be proven. As seen with NOT and the listing of Notcoin, the value of TAPS can fluctuate significantly, and it's important to be aware of the inherent risks involved.

• Long-term value: Earning substantial amounts of crypto through TapSwap likely requires a significant time investment. It's important to manage expectations and understand that TapSwap might not be a quick path to riches since any potential airdrop can be delayed and dependent on the team's overall timeline.

• Time commitment and reward: While core gameplay is simple, consistently earning a decent amount of TAPS may require dedicated playtime. This might not be feasible for everyone's schedule. Balancing the time invested with the potential rewards is therefore crucial, and TapSwap might not be the best fit if you've limited time to dedicate to gameplay.

• Questionable "cutting-edge financial platform" label: While TapSwap introduces users to crypto concepts through a gamified interface, it doesn't necessarily translate to real financial expertise, as some critics write TapSwap off as simply another screen-tapping app. This may put its title as a "cutting-edge financial platform" into question.

What happened to the TAPS airdrop?

Even though TapSwap promised that the shares-to-tokens exchange event would be happening on July 1st, 2024, the date has come and gone without any TAPS airdrop happening. In response to this, the TapSwap team has come out publicly to address concerns and claimed that the delay was because they're actively in talks with various crypto exchanges. No concrete date has been set yet, but the team has stated that they're still working towards a Q3 launch. For many players who are still optimistic about the potential TAPS airdrop, they're simply seeing this as an opportunity to mine even more TapSwap shares.

Final words and next steps

Whether you're a seasoned crypto enthusiast or simply curious about this new frontier, TapSwap offers a fun and engaging way to get involved in crypto. While the play-to-earn model presents exciting possibilities, it's crucial to approach it with realistic expectations and a healthy dose of research before sinking a ton of time into tapping and interacting with TapSwap.

Interested about the hype behind Toncoin? Read our TON guide for more details on how TON is quickly gaining adoption among Telegram users. And, if you're keen to dive deeper into the TON ecosystem, read our TON deep dive to gain more insights about the growing ecosystem led by The Open Network.