Sonic SVM Solana’s First TikTok Tap-to-Earn SonicX Surpasses 1 Million Players

SonicX, a tap-to-earn game integrated with TikTok and powered by the Solana blockchain, has recently crossed the milestone of 1 million players. This achievement was announced by Sonic SVM on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), signaling a new chapter for blockchain gaming as it moves beyond platforms like Telegram into mainstream social media, making Web3 technology more accessible to a wider audience through the first Web3 Applayer on TikTok.

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Announcing a major milestone: Sonic X has reached 1,000,000 users through our TikTok Applayer. A significant validation of our mission to bridge social media and Web3 gaming, powered by @solana 1/7

6:12 PM · Nov 11, 2024

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Expanding Tap-to-Earn Gaming Beyond Telegram

The tap-to-earn concept originally gained traction on Telegram, supported by The Open Network (TON) blockchain. Telegram’s ability to host mini-apps with native wallet integration allowed players to earn rewards by interacting with in-app games directly. The TON blockchain made it possible for these games to thrive without requiring players to manage external wallets or seed phrases, helping tap-to-earn games grow rapidly on the platform.

While Telegram-based games have seen massive success—attracting hundreds of millions of users, with some games like Hamster Kombat reaching over 300 million players—SonicX is taking this genre to new heights by bringing it to TikTok. By tapping into TikTok’s massive audience, Sonic X is making blockchain gaming available to a new demographic who may not have used Web3 applications before.

Sonic SVM: The Technology Behind SonicX’s TikTok Integration

The technology enabling this seamless Web3 experience is Sonic SVM, a Layer-2 solution built on Solana and designed to support SonicX as a Web3 Applayer. Unlike Ethereum’s EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine), which is built around the Ethereum blockchain, SVM (Solana Virtual Machine) is designed to maximize speed and scalability, processing thousands of transactions per second while keeping costs low. With features like account abstraction and wallet abstraction, Sonic SVM eliminates the need for external wallets or complex setups. TikTok users can access and play SonicX directly within the app, using their existing TikTok accounts without managing any blockchain-specific requirements.

This design minimizes the traditional barriers associated with blockchain gaming. Instead of setting up a separate Web3 wallet or handling private keys, players can engage immediately, making it easier for those unfamiliar with blockchain to participate.

SonicX vs. Traditional Tap-to-Earn Models on Telegram

While tap-to-earn games found early success on Telegram, they primarily depended on TON’s ecosystem and leveraged Telegram's large user base SonicX’s launch on TikTok, however, marks the first significant expansion of tap-to-earn gaming outside Telegram, targeting TikTok’s vast user base.

A unique aspect of SonicX on TikTok is its emphasis on verified users due to TikTok’s built-in KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements. Unlike many Telegram-based games where user verification is optional, TikTok’s setup ensures a higher level of user credibility. This approach could bring added transparency to Web3 gaming, an area often seen as anonymous.

Addressing the Challenge of Retaining Users Post-Launch

Chris Zhu, CEO of Sonic SVM, speaking at Solana Consumer Day. Source: Sonic SVM X Profile

One of the critical challenges for Sonic SVM will be retaining players after the anticipated token launch. While no date for the token generation event (TGE) has been announced, it’s safe to assume the launch may take place in 2025. Many tap-to-earn games on Telegram experienced high churn rates following their token launches, as players often grew disappointed by the perceived value of the airdropped tokens and quickly moved on to newer or more trending games.

To counter this pattern, SonicX aims to establish itself not just as a single game but as a versatile distribution platform. In the near future, SonicX plans to evolve into a hub of games, offering curated game discovery, competitive leaderboards, and reward mechanisms—all built on Sonic SVM’s robust infrastructure. The team has already partnered with developers of games like Mahjong Verse and BR1: INFINITE, a kill-to-earn shooter game, both expected to be available soon on the SonicX platform. This diversification could help SonicX retain player interest by providing a variety of gaming experiences within one platform.

SonicX’s Milestone and the Road to Sustained Success

Reaching 1 million players on TikTok signals that blockchain-based games can attract mainstream audiences when barriers to entry are reduced. However, for Sonic SVM to prove its success as a Web3 Applayer, it will need to onboard tens of millions of active players and demonstrate the ability to maintain their engagement over time. SonicX’s current design includes popular features like leaderboards and in-game rewards, which are familiar to casual gamers, making the transition to blockchain feel less intimidating.

Looking forward, Sonic SVM plans to expand SonicX’s platform by adding new games and interactive Web3 applications, all accessible within TikTok. The vision is to develop a versatile Web3 gaming hub that can support various games, allowing TikTok users to explore multiple blockchain experiences within a single platform.

SonicX’s growth highlights the potential for Web3 gaming in social media spaces, where integration with widely-used platforms like TikTok can drive adoption among everyday users. For blockchain gaming, SonicX’s success could be a sign of more mainstream applications to come, bridging the gap between social media and Web3 in ways previously unexplored.