A new trend has taken Nigeria by storm, with people of all ages tapping away on their phone screens in pursuit of financial gain. Tapswap, a popular clicker app, has become a nationwide phenomenon with users tapping repeatedly on the icon in the centre of the Telegram Tapswap bot screen to mine coins.
The app's sudden popularity has sparked a frenzy, with many Nigerians eager to cash in on the trend. Viral videos have shown alarming instances of individuals, both young and old, obsessively tapping on their phones.
In one clip, a Keke driver was seen tapping away on his phone with one hand while simultaneously steering his moving vehicle and transporting passengers. Another viral video showed several traders in Northern Nigeria tapping vigorously on their screens.
The trend is seen as a way to onboard new users into the Web3 space, which represents a new generation of the World Wide Web, characterised by decentralisation, blockchain technology, and token-based economics.
Web3 enthusiasts believe that this tapping phenomenon is a way to reward people for inviting others to join the platform, similar to how Piggyvest, a savings app, rewards users for inviting friends.
The tapping involves inviting somebody and tapping on your screen to get new users and see how much their system can take as a way to reward people for participating and inviting their friends. Many Nigerians profited from the Notcoin airdrop campaign by engaging in Telegram gaming activities, thereby increasing their crypto holdings.
As of May 20, 2024, Bitcoin.com reports that over 102 billion NOT tokens exist on the TON chain, valued at $0.00568 per unit, resulting in a market capitalisation of $574 million. Miners received 78% of the total supply.
The airdrop tactic is used by cryptocurrency projects to distribute free tokens or coins to a large number of wallet addresses, often to promote awareness, drive adoption, and build a community. Crypto clicker apps, such as Notcoin, TapSwap, and others, have recently gained immense popularity, with millions of users.
These apps provide an accessible entry point into crypto for a vast audience. Notcoin, in particular, has achieved remarkable success, surpassing 35 million users just a few months after its official launch in January.
