Not Founder: How Sasha Turned Notcoin into the Engine of Mass Adoption for TON

The TON ecosystem continues to expand, growing in scale and drawing the attention of an ever-increasing number of users. Among the powerful drivers of this movement is Notcoin — a project that has not only unlocked the potential of blockchain in Telegram but has also become a catalyst for the mass adoption of TON. Behind this phenomenon stands Sasha, who created Notcoin with a unique goal: to turn cryptocurrency from a complex tool into an element of everyday interaction.

In an exclusive interview for App Journal, Sasha shares his journey, the challenges Notcoin has faced, and how his team managed to transform an idea into an entire sociocultural phenomenon. His inspiring and ambitious vision for Notcoin provides new insights into what TON’s future might hold, where innovation is closely aligned with accessibility and user engagement.

— Before your work on TON projects, you were involved in various other areas. Could you tell us how your journey into the ecosystem began and what inspired you to create Notcoin?

— I worked at Wrike from 2013 to 2020. In 2020, we started our own startup, and in late 2021, we met with VKontakte, pitching our startup as an HR-Service. It was an HR tool designed to allow employees in large companies to communicate freely and informally with each other. They didn’t need it because they already had their own system, but we made a good impression. At some point, Andrey from VKontakte reached out to me to discuss collaboration opportunities and potential investment. Then I thought about it and realised I didn’t want to be an HR-Tech, so I proposed working on something more user-centred.

At first, we planned a Web2 project, and then TON came into the picture. Gradually, we started exploring it, and we saw the growth potential of Telegram. We understood that TON had growth potential through Telegram: new projects would emerge, and there would be a need for a launchpad to support them. It’s funny to think about it now because we started when the market was already heading into a bear phase, and TON had no tokens or token standards yet. There wasn’t even clarity on why a launchpad was needed or who would use it. The idea quickly evolved, and we became interested in expanding it to the level of Telegram, where there would be tools not just for IDO but also for launching campaigns. That’s when the community bot emerged, marking the beginning.

— You are well-known for Notcoin and the Community Bot, but these are likely not the only projects you’re involved in within TON. Could you share what other initiatives you are developing?

— We are always looking for and collaborating with different teams.

Here, we have a separate category about teams we collaborate with on games, as well as specific verticals like Early, which we build on the foundation of the community bot.

For example, Early is a format that helps create real communities for new projects.

Not Pixel is one of those games, developed by a separate team. Initially, they just reached out to us with a question of whether they could use Notcoin for payments. We reviewed their product, liked it, and a collaboration began. A few months later, Pixel launched via Notcoin, gaining recognition as a leading social game on Telegram, as measured by user interest.

— What does your process look like when working with new projects? Could it be said that you help promising teams launch by providing access to your community and expertise?

— Indeed. Yes, we’re willing to bring in our community and share our expertise. The only thing is, we collaborate with very few projects because there aren’t that many that are strong, authentic, with a solid team. Often, people come with ideas to create casinos or yet another tap-to-earn game. We don’t work with those projects. We’re interested when a product is made with passion, where a unique approach is evident.

— If a project has ambitions to become part of the TON ecosystem and secure your support, how should the team best reach out? Do you have open channels for communication?

— It’s not hard to find our contacts. Sometimes, I respond to messages myself. Plus, we have a business development team that people can also reach out to.

— Notcoin went viral right from the start, in a sense becoming a phenomenon that attracted an incredible number of people. Did you anticipate this level of success at launch, and what was your reaction? How did your team take it?

— We built Notcoin with the idea of attracting millions of users from Telegram into TON, so expectations were there. We relied on the experience of different projects from the past, merging their concepts with Web3. But it’s one thing — to set a goal of reaching millions of users, and quite another — to see it actually happening.

When we shared a QR code for the beta version of Notcoin at Gateway in 2023, we didn’t think much would happen since there were only 500 people there. But within 2-3 days, we already had 70,000 online! That’s when we realised we’d hit the mark and that it was time to quickly move out of beta and fully launch the project. Each additional million users felt like, “wow, we’ve never seen anything like this in the industry”. So, in that sense, it was both planned and unexpected.

— With Notcoin’s current audience, your potential for growth has significantly increased. What are your plans for Notcoin’s expansion? Could it perhaps become a launchpad for other projects?

— I don’t see Notcoin as a project — rather, it’s a community. There are people interested in Notcoin for various reasons: some hold it, others participate in games, get various bonuses. Also, when we work with new projects, they make drops to our users. As a result, there’s a network of various satellites around Notcoin, adding value to the community and the ecosystem.

In terms of goals, the abstract aim is to build a strong community. On a more concrete level, we know how to create great games and provide interesting experiences to users. There’s currently no game in Telegram that stays in the top for a long time, like in the AppStore, but that could change.

— You’ve made an important step in advancing TON’s mass adoption with Notcoin. What, in your view, are the next applications and niches that could drive the evolution of the ecosystem?

That’s a good question because everything changes so quickly. Things that worked a month ago no longer work today. All models, approaches, and mechanics stop working — and you have to find new ones, so it’s hard to say which specific applications will succeed. What I do know is that those who adapt and stay flexible will be the ones to thrive. It’s essential to gauge users’ current interests and observe what works and what doesn’t.

It’s currently pointless to do a drop and launch on a CEX, especially if it’s not Binance. That’s simply because the number of people interested in buying a big airdrop has dwindled. They’ve already made up their minds, and after “Hamster”, they’re not keen to buy anything. I think the App Store is a great example of how the industry can work, even if there are no tokens or airdrops.

A good example is “Monopoly Go!”, which appeared in April 2023. Over a year and a half, they earned around $3 billion. That’s huge money! Obviously, without any airdrops — just the game and in-game purchases. As a business, a game without a drop can thrive.

I think the focus should be on games that are initially created for fun, ones that evoke emotions and capture interest, where money and monetization come second. The most sustainable example of such games I call Pay2Flex. In other words, it’s fun and interesting for you to play, it brings you enjoyment. You buy a new skin in the game and get joy from it. In reality, we buy clothes for ourselves, and this can also be called Pay2Flex. We buy clothes because we like them, even if they may not be particularly beautiful or fashionable. Pay2Flex is when you buy something cool and don’t regret it even if it was a bit pricey. And that’s the most sustainable monetization method because people willingly spend money for their pleasure.

— Moving to a more personal question. Your projects display a lot of creativity and a unique approach. What drives you in working on them, and what goals do you set for yourself?

— There are inspiring answers to these things and more practical ones. Why did we create Notcoin? Because we saw Telegram with nearly a billion monthly users, and TON, which at that time had only 10,000 monthly users. We realised we needed to find a way to transfer people from one system to another. Notcoin essentially solved this problem, but we didn’t want to create just a simple Tap2Earn solution. We wanted to do something special, something that would be interesting for us as well. This is how the idea of Notcoin was born, along with the attitude and concept of “probably nothing”.

In this sense, there are always several layers, a depth that interests me — otherwise, it doesn’t work. The “probably nothing” philosophy reflects a simple and clear concept: from the outside, it appears to be less than what it truly is inside. This wasn’t intentional, but it contrasts with how crypto projects often operate. A project launches and tries very hard to convince everyone, including itself, of its potential and profitability, but it’s hollow inside. Such aggressive marketing has become somewhat outdated and tiring, so we decided to take a different approach with Notcoin. This is something I personally enjoy — the creativity, the search for language, form, and something that’s enjoyable to create. It’s about exploring and defining how to operate in a way that’s true to ourselves under the given circumstances. This opportunity is probably the most exciting and valuable part of this journey.

I’m always drawn to seeing people create something from nothing; they bring value where there was none before. People can make convenient phones, create the internet, launch rockets into space — that’s all incredibly inspiring. I’ve always felt that I want to make things and that creation is an end in itself. I have a very particular associative connection with scoring goals. I’ve never played football, but I can imagine the feeling: after countless hours of training, the game is on, emotions are high, and you’re physically exhausted. Then, at that moment, you make a dash and score. That feeling, when it all comes together, is so bright and unforgettable. I love that feeling, when we create and launch a project, when ideas come to life. So, I want us not just to kick the ball around but to score goals. I get a lot of joy and satisfaction from this, and that’s why I do it. That’s how it feels on an emotional level.

— In your view, how will TON develop over the next five years? What key challenges and opportunities do you see for its growth?

— I think that the millions of users who encountered cryptocurrency through TON, mini-apps, and Telegram have only just scratched the surface in crypto. Why? Because it takes time for people to start trusting, understanding blockchain, and comprehending how it works. For me, it took 1-2 years to understand, even working full-time in the field. If it’s not full-time, this path could take 3-4 years. So, those who have already joined will likely start significantly engaging with blockchain, crypto, and TON in 1-2 years, and the results could be huge. Even if we stop attracting new users now.

I believe TON, in this sense, is destined to become the biggest, most popular, and most accessible blockchain. And that’s not just because of my deep affection for it; I think it’s inevitable. How projects will evolve — that’s something I can’t yet foresee.

— And lastly…

— What is strength? (laughing)

— Almost! In your view, what are the main factors that will shape TON’s development in the coming years, and what token price do you consider realistic in the long term, say, five years from now?

— Let’s think about it. We’ll likely catch part of the next cycle, probably with a high valuation. Then, there are several factors: TON is a cryptocurrency, and cryptocurrency is a means for saving and multiplying wealth that people use.

The first question: Will people stop wanting to multiply and store wealth? I don’t think that’s going to happen; I don’t see a scenario where people give up the desire to multiply and securely store their wealth.

The second question: Will they stop using cryptocurrency for this purpose? Considering how slowly traditional financial institutions change — classic banks, which operate just as they did 20 years ago — it’s unlikely. Cryptocurrency and blockchain remain a way to make borderless transfers quickly and seamlessly. This is crucial for businesses, as their survival often depends on it. From a convenience standpoint, they’ll keep using it.

The third question: Storing money. Personally, I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d choose to keep my money in a bank instead of trusting it to something like Bitcoin. Especially after what we’ve all seen and experienced in the former Soviet Union. We’ve all had, let’s say, a “vaccine” against trusting structures, particularly financial ones.

It seems that Telegram’s strategy is to make the product better and wait for everyone else to make mistakes. It’s a good marketing strategy — tojust wait. Like the Chinese proverb says — stand by the river and wait for the body of your enemy to float by. It’s a great strategy because by simply making a better product and waiting, you conserve energy that can be used elsewhere. WhatsApp and other messengers are hard to out-market, but to create a user-friendly, fast, and reliable product is enough to welcome millions of users who will leave other apps as they break, sell data, or simply become obsolete next to Telegram. In TON, we need to make the best products and wait until people start using them instead of traditional financial solutions.

Long story short: with these assumptions, I don’t see many chances for a negative outcome. There’s a strong likelihood that Bitcoin will remain a value-preserving asset, as it did initially. In crypto, a coin’s value can grow exponentially, and trading gains are often simpler here than with stocks (especially in developing countries). That’s why I think L1 tokens and system coins/blockchain coins are strong candidates for growth, with capitalizations comparable to Ethereum.

I expect that the TON community, over time, will trust the blockchain more and more and shift liquidity to it. I don’t believe that after using TON, they’d switch to EVM — it’s complicated: switching to MetaMask, handling gas fees. After TON Keeper, where gas is integrated into transfers and fees are calculated under the hood, moving to Trust Wallet is tough.

Demand and popularity for TON are likely to grow. I don’t fully understand the mechanics and maths behind TON tokenomics. I don’t know how many tokens are held by investors, validators, or other players who theoretically could impact the price. However, the good news is that we’ve already seen $8, and this level didn’t instantly drop. Such levels aren’t seen as an urgent “sell,” so $15-$25 seems a reasonable horizon, considering the bull run. Possibly even in the current bull run, if we’re lucky.

Notcoin, created by Sasha, has quickly become a driving force behind TON's mass adoption, demonstrating that in Web3, it’s possible to build not just a platform but an entire community around an idea. With a unique approach, he has transformed complex crypto tools into an accessible and straightforward product for millions. And while Notcoin serves as the gateway to TON for thousands of users, Sasha continues to explore new avenues — developing games, communities, and technological solutions that further expand the horizons of the TON ecosystem and unlock even greater possibilities in Web3.

In the world of Web3, there’s frequent talk of revolutions — but it seems Notcoin is already setting that tone, transforming a multitude of ideas into a sweeping movement that accelerates its pace with every passing day.