cryptopolitan.com
OKX launched a Telegram mini-app game called ‘OKX Racer’, the crypto exchange announced on Monday. The free-to-play game asks users to guess the price of Bitcoin (BTC) every five seconds. Players must predict whether the price will go up (“moon”) or down (“doom”) to earn points.
OKX said players can earn more points if they make consecutive correct guesses or by referring friends. Gamers can use these extra points to buy in-game upgrades like boosting their fuel tank. OKX Racer players can also link their OKX account and complete know-your-customer (KYC) verification for future “surprises,” the company added.
No airdrop for OKX Racer yet
OKX claimed that it is the “first” major centralized crypto asset exchange to release a Telegram mini-app. During play, OKX Racer users get to make a prediction 10 times before they must wait for their next guess to refill, which happens every minute and 30 seconds. Each correct guess earns a player 10 points, but they do not lose points for inaccurate guesses.
Every day is race day with our new Telegram mini-app #OKX Racer 🏁
🔮 Tap to guess #Bitcoin price
🔝 Earn points & use for upgrades
🏆 Battle on the leaderboard for bragging rights
✅ Complete KYC for future surprisesRev up your engines & invite frens: https://t.co/bhnW622mrm pic.twitter.com/vvwcnVSSJI
— OKX (@okx) July 22, 2024
It is not clear whether the exchange plans to convert OKX Racer points to crypto, similar to the tap-to-earn model made popular by Notcoin, where users are airdropped crypto. Notcoin launched its NOT token on the TON blockchain in May, becoming the biggest crypto gaming token this year, with a market cap of over $1.5 billion.
According to OKX chief innovation officer, Jason Lau, the decision to launch the Telegram mini-app is meant to “embrace easy-to-use, interoperable and accessible platforms that cultivate communities, incentivize participation and encourage fun.”
Telegram uses web-based applications that run inside the social network known as “mini-apps”. These apps allow crypto projects to launch directly within Telegram – users do not need to install the apps on their devices to gain access.
Telegram, along with its TON blockchain, has become a hub for so-called ‘clicker games’ like Hamster Kombat, Tapswap, and Notcoin. The games typically pay people to tap their smartphone screens and enjoy a big following. Hamster Kombat alone claims to have over 250 million players.
OKX Racer is not the first to use the price of Bitcoin for gaming purposes. In 2019, Solana-based platform Hxro introduced a similar game called MoonRekt. The game allowed users to bet the HXRO token (around 5 cents at the time) on whether the BTC price would rise or fall within a five-minute window.