Disruptor: Telegram Becomes a Super App with Cloud Infrastructure Originating from China

Telegram announced a new feature that allows developers to run Mini Apps, referred to as "mini-program" in the context, within its platform.

In a blog post, Telegram developers mentioned that Mini Apps offer flexible interfaces that can serve as alternatives to traditional websites and can be launched directly within Telegram. Developers can build their Mini Apps using JavaScript.

This feature is somewhat similar to Telegram's existing functionality of bots, where users can engage in more advanced experiences compared to bots. Mini Apps allow users to do things like place restaurant orders, conduct electronic payments, receive push notifications, and continue tasks initiated through bots.

The introduction of Mini Apps is an interesting change for Telegram, indicating a move toward becoming another "super app." Super apps consist of an open platform for various Mini Apps, allowing external developers to run a variety of applications. The concept of building a super app through Mini Apps has gained attention in recent months, alongside the news of iPhone 15 and Twitter's rebranding.

As of now, Telegram has approximately 800 million daily active users. Due to certain political reasons, Telegram has a significant advantage in many regions where mainstream mobile social tools cannot operate, regardless of whether they are developed or developing countries.

Telegram's ambition to become a super app is not unique, and it faces competition, particularly from Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), which announced plans to transform X into a super app similar to WeChat. However, Telegram seems to have gained an advantage with the introduction of Mini Apps.

To further support the development of Mini Apps, Telegram's founder Pavel Durov and the development team sought assistance from Tencent, a well-known Chinese internet company with expertise in developing Mini Programs. In the international market, organizations like W3C have also incorporated Mini Apps into international standards.

Whether in Telegram or WeChat, Mini Apps are developed using JavaScript, a widely used programming language on the internet. This language is not only easy for engineers to learn but also facilitates development. Additionally, Mini Apps may leverage distributed networks, such as P2P protocols or encrypted currencies, for distribution and use.

This is also the battlefield of the TON Foundation created by Pavel Durov. TON and its initiatives aimed to provide Telegram users with an encrypted currency platform. However, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subsequently suspended the project and accused Durov of selling unauthorized digital tokens.

As a result, Pavel Durov officially separated from the TON Foundation in 2020 and transferred it to external developers, keeping them independent in their development. Subsequently, Telegram paid a hefty fine of up to $185 million and returned approximately $1.2 billion in related investments to the foundation.

Today, Pavel Durov is also attempting to indirectly incorporate the work of the TON Foundation into mini-program operations by providing decentralized software infrastructure services through the foundation. This allows these mini-programs to run on these foundational services. In other words, even people in countries that prohibit operating cryptocurrency exchanges or e-wallets can easily use TON's foundational services.

Of course, this may be a win-win attempt for internet developers in China as well. The Chinese tech industry has recently experienced some decline, and providing a platform similar to mini-programs to developers outside China can quickly attract international users, increasing foreign exchange income.

Telegram's introduction of mini-programs once again proves the "world-class status of domestic technological standards." As mini-program standards are gradually introduced by mobile applications across various industries, we may find that mini-programs are currently one of the most vibrant software forms. Active developers in the mini-program development industry can leverage third-party platforms compatible with WeChat mini-program syntax (such as FinClip) to easily publish their mini-programs on third-party platforms.

Apps operating in the Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, or Southeast Asian regions can also introduce mini-programs into their apps using platforms like FinClip, guiding developers and users to accept mini-program standards and experiences. Regardless of the role, with minimal effort, you can easily expand your international audience.

Justin Hyun, Head of Growth at the TON Foundation, stated in an interview with the tech media TechCrunch, "Considering the similarities between WeChat mini-programs and Telegram mini-programs, we believe developers currently using WeChat mini-programs can soon build their own code on TON."

Currently, Telegram is not available in mainland China, but this situation may present an excellent opportunity for many Chinese developers to transport their own applications to Western and international markets. It is the standardization of mini-programs that allows even small-scale or individual developers to benefit in this process. In the future, Telegram may also allow developers to create their own mini-programs in cloud-based services outside Tencent.

If successful, this move may quickly attract more similar developers to join Telegram and force platforms like X or Meta (formerly Facebook) to take similar measures.