~ 7 min

A game app right inside Telegram: the user opens themed boxes with gifts and grows a collection of Telegram gifts and NFTs. Payment with Telegram Stars and TON, transparent odds with a verifiable algorithm, automatic delivery of gifts to a wallet, three bots and an admin panel to manage everything without a developer. We were responsible for the whole product except writing the code. By March 2026 the app had 16,500+ active users, a second game, NFT football, appeared, and the total value of gifts grew to $2.5 million.

Imagine millions of people in Telegram already own Stars and collectible gifts, but have few ways to make collecting them fun. The GiftHunt client wanted an app that opens in one click from a chat and turns growing a collection into a game with clear rules.

He came with an idea, prototypes and a list of hard questions. How to accept payment in Stars and in TON? How to withdraw what has been earned? How to deliver gifts so Telegram does not block the bot? And how to prove to the user that everything is fair?

We took on everything except writing the code itself:
- product design — scenarios, screens and the box mechanics;
- architecture — how the Mini App, backend, bots, payments and blockchain connect;
- stack selection for the load of a viral Telegram app;
- development control — tracking progress at every stage;
- supervising the development team, who wrote the code to our architecture and spec.

For the client this means one person accountable for the result: they do not have to figure out TON, Telegram limits and payment mechanics themselves.

- Two currencies. Stars go through Telegram’s payment system and TON through the blockchain. These are different mechanics for receiving and crediting.
- Gift delivery. Mass sending of messages and transfers is a common reason for Telegram to restrict or block a bot.
- Trust. If users cannot check how a gift is determined, they leave.
- Economy. You need a balance between the Stars coming into the system and those spent, otherwise the project loses money.
- Management. Box contents and odds must change quickly, without a new release.

Launch the first stage of the product:
- sign-in through Telegram and linking a TON wallet;
- six boxes of different levels and the full opening mechanic;
- a profile with a balance and an inventory, where a gift can be kept, sold for Stars or withdrawn to a wallet;
- accepting payments in Stars and TON;
- automatic gift delivery;
- an admin panel to manage boxes, users and the economy.

The spec reserves the next stages for a referral program, player levels and a leaderboard, and new game mechanics.

The interface is built in React and looks like a natural part of Telegram: in light and dark themes, on phone and desktop, in Russian and English. All business logic, money and blockchain work live on a Java server. The user does not see this complexity: they simply open the app and play.

The screens below are interface mockups.

New game mechanics were included in the spec for later stages from the start. The first of them became NFT football, a second game inside the app. By March 2026 GiftHunt grew to 16,500+ active users, and the total value of gifts to $2.5 million.

Telegram Mini App on React — an interface inside Telegram, responsive, RU/EN, light and dark theme.

Java — the backend: box logic, payments, gift delivery, an API documented with Swagger.

MongoDB — users, inventory, operation history.

Redis — fast counters, queues and cache.

TON + TON Connect — user wallets, TON payment and NFT transfer.

Telegram Stars — payment through Apple Pay and Google Pay in one click.

Yandex Cloud, Timeweb, Cloudflare — servers, domains and protection.

- Every request from the app is verified on the server, and all connections are encrypted.
- The project wallet key is not stored in code, and only the delivery service can access it.
- Separate bots isolate risk: a restriction on one does not stop the app.
- The architecture is ready for the influx of users typical of viral Telegram apps.

- 2 months to launch (3 August — 3 October 2025).
- 3 bots, a Mini App and an admin panel.
- 6 box types, 2 payment currencies, 2 interface languages.
- 16,500+ active users (March 2026).
- 2 games: boxes and NFT football.
- Total value of gifts: $2.5 million.

If you have an idea for an app inside Telegram with payments, wallets or digital collections, describe it in the brief. We will design the product and architecture, choose the stack, oversee development and take the project to launch, so you do not have to figure out TON, Telegram limits and payment mechanics yourself.