Notcoin Founders: The Next Telegram Gaming Wave Hinges on Twisting Old Classics
Forget reinventing the wheel—just slap a crypto engine on it and watch it fly. That’s the playbook for Telegram’s next gaming boom, according to Notcoin’s creators.
The secret sauce? Reskinning retro hits with blockchain hooks. Because nothing says ’innovation’ like Pac-Man chasing BNB tokens instead of pellets.
Wall Street analysts remain skeptical—but then again, they’re still trying to explain NFTs to their golf buddies.
Sasha Plotvinov, Uliana Salo, and Vladimir Plotvinov (from left) of Not Games at Token2049 Dubai 2025. Image: Decrypt
But why do this all on Telegram?
“It’s much easier. If you want to play a classic game, you need to get it on the App Store and download it,” Vladimir told Decrypt. “In Telegram, you don’t have to register because you already have an account—you can just open the web app and play in one second.”
With this ease of use also comes increased potential for social virality, which prompted much of the rise of tap-to-earn gaming as devs encouraged users to invite pals in exchange for in-game rewards. Uliana Salo, head of design and product lead for Not Games, believes that reinvented classics can also take advantage of this Telegram feature.
In 2024, WeChat claimed that 500 million users were playing in-app games on its platform each month. Sasha wants Not Games to be positioned for a similar level of potential success on Telegram, with the app recently hitting 1 billion active users.
“Telegram allows anyone from any place in the world to just push a button and [play a game],” he said. “From that perspective, I don’t see a reason why Telegram gaming would not succeed.”
To help Telegram achieve its gaming destiny, Not Games will continue to reinvent classic video games on the messaging app. Not Games’ first attempt is a reinvention of the classic in-browser game Agar.io, called Void, but more games are in the works.
The Plotvinov brothers didn’t expect Notcoin’s viral success, saying that its success came almost too quickly to comprehend. From this experience, they realized that you don’t have to ship a perfect product to gain notoriety. Instead, they plan to launch good ideas quickly, and stay agile when receiving user feedback. That’s the strategy behind Not Games.
“We will move this way,” Vladimir said. “Sometimes I meet with developers who are trying to build rockets, but it’s really not necessary. You can make a small batch of features, launch it, see it, get feedback, and work with it.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
