Hamster Kombat’s Rapid Decline: What Happened?

Hamster Kombat, one of Telegram’s most popular tap-to-earn games, has seen a massive drop in its user base. Since August, the game has lost 259 million players, marking an 86% decline in active monthly users. As of November 5, the game retains 41 million active players, down from its peak earlier this year.

The sharp decline coincides with the rise of Paws, a competing Telegram Mini App, which has attracted 20.5 million users in just eight days. Paws also reported 10 million connected wallets and one million X (Twitter) followers, making it a fast-growing rival in the crypto gaming space.

HMSTR Token Struggles Amid User Exodus

The HMSTR token has suffered a 66% price drop from its all-time high of $0.007 on September 26 to $0.0024 as of November 5, according to CoinGecko. However, on-chain data from IntoTheBlock shows a 30-day high of 3.5 million wallet addresses holding the token, indicating that some investors are still holding on.

Political and Market Challenges Impact Growth

Hamster Kombat has also faced political challenges, with Iranian government officials criticizing the game and reports of potential bans in Uzbekistan. Such hurdles, coupled with growing competition, have contributed to the game’s player decline.

What’s Next for Hamster Kombat?

Despite recent losses, the Hamster Kombat team has ambitious plans to revamp the game and regain user interest. Future updates include:

✅ Integration of payment systems to enhance user experience.
✅ New game launches to keep players engaged.
✅ NFTs as in-game assets, offering more incentives for players and investors.

While Hamster Kombat has faced setbacks, its next phase of development could determine whether it rebounds or continues to lose market share to competitors like Paws.

Final Thoughts

The crypto gaming industry is evolving rapidly, with new contenders constantly emerging. Hamster Kombat’s ability to innovate and adapt will be crucial in determining its future success. Will the game recover, or is this the beginning of the end? Only time will tell.

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Bitcoin surge past $100,000 may feel like a long-anticipated milestone, but according to industry experts, this is just the beginning of a significant shift. Institutional adoption is gaining momentum, and it could reshape global financial markets in ways never seen before.

Institutional Capital Flowing into Bitcoin

Samson Mow, CEO of Jan3—an organization dedicated to accelerating Bitcoin adoption—believes this rally is different from past cycles.

“Previous Bitcoin bull runs were often hindered by onboarding delays, with exchanges struggling to keep up,” Mow explained at the Consensus 2025 conference in Hong Kong. “But with Bitcoin ETFs now in play, there’s no barrier preventing traditional finance (TradFi) from moving directly into Bitcoin.”

Despite this shift, Mow notes that institutional capital hasn’t flooded into Bitcoin just yet. Investors such as sovereign wealth funds are still cautiously testing the waters, allocating only a fraction of their available capital to crypto.

Supply Constraints and Market Dynamics

During the panel discussion, Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, highlighted Bitcoin’s unique market conditions.

“ETF inflows are significantly outpacing the daily Bitcoin mining supply,” Back noted. “MicroStrategy and other companies are acquiring Bitcoin at a rate exceeding twice the daily mining output.”

This trend suggests a long-term bullish trajectory, with Mow predicting a decade or more of sustained institutional investment driving Bitcoin’s price even higher.

Unprecedented Bitcoin Accumulation

The panel also discussed how approximately 1.1 million Bitcoin—worth around $110 billion—was absorbed by buyers between September and October 2024. This massive accumulation happened even as Bitcoin’s price surged from $60,000 to over $100,000, reflecting strong investor confidence.

Mow pointed out that despite the price increase, Bitcoin remains locked in artificial trading ranges, possibly due to market manipulations or strategic accumulation by large investors.

What’s Next for Bitcoin?

With institutional investors slowly increasing their exposure and supply constraints tightening, Bitcoin could be on the cusp of a prolonged period of bullish momentum. As ETFs remove previous barriers to entry, more capital is expected to flow into the market, further driving demand.

While the current rally is already making headlines, industry leaders believe the true impact of institutional adoption is just beginning. If Bitcoin’s recent price action is any indication, we may be witnessing the early stages of a historic shift in global finance.

In a major boost for the future of blockchain gaming, ZKcandy has successfully raised $4 million in a high-profile Seed funding round backed by industry giants Wemix, Animoca Ventures, The Spartan Group, Presto Labs, Flowdesk, Lecca Ventures, and Efficient Frontier. This strategic investment underscores growing confidence in next-gen, high-speed blockchain solutions tailored for gaming.

ZKcandy is a cutting-edge Layer 2 (L2) blockchain designed specifically for gaming and entertainment applications. Developed through a powerful collaboration between iCandy Interactive and Matter Labs, it harnesses zero-knowledge proof technology to supercharge transaction speeds while slashing fees. This game-changing scalability unlocks limitless possibilities for Web3 developers and players, setting the stage for a more immersive and seamless blockchain gaming experience.