Are Blockchains Capable Of Handling Real World Transactions? Telegram Mini Game Airdrop Scared TON

The $HMSTR trading officially began on September 26th. Although the date—as well as the scale—had been known in advance, the TON network signaled that the load might be excessive and warned validators to be ready.

Performance issues caused by major events are relatively common in the blockchain world. Still, when one of the leading and most rapidly growing blockchains warns it might face pressures when a mini-game launches a meme-coin, it makes Web3 infrastructure look like a joke. Imagine Visa warning clients that on Christmas holidays, they might face problems paying because too many people are shopping that day.

That said, this case is unparalleled, with the expected pressure significantly exceeding normal loads. The size of the Hamster Kombat airdrop, in some ways, could be considered the biggest one ever. On September 26, the project minted 60 billion coins and is expected to distribute 89% of the total supply among 131 million players. One of the most popular options to claim the airdrop is Telegram native @wallet. 

At the time of writing, the network was working fine with no congestion. The majority of users reported receiving their tokens in due time. Compared to the $NOT launch in May, when Wallet wasn't operational for at least 7 hours, this airdrop was a success in terms of process organization.

Still, the Hamster team later reported that though 2/3 of the tokens have been allocated, some users "might be experiencing difficulties with accessing and sending their tokens" and shared that they are working with TON to sort it out.

While it is quite likely that all users will receive their rewards shortly, this delay cost them money. At the moment of writing, $HMSTR was trading at $0.0067, which was 45% less than the ATH reached right after listing. Considering that most users got absurdly small sums for tapping over months—even compared to the above-mentioned Notcoin airdrop—such a difference is important.

Surprisingly, all TON scans and explorers showed that the number of transactions on September 26 was relatively low compared to last month.

It is unclear whether the Hamster tribe followed the team's advice and kept the tokens to consolidate its position or whether most users are still waiting for their coins. Another option is a false statistic, as it is unlikely that the biggest airdrop ever hasn't affected the network data even a little.