The Telegram Bot industry, as a core component of the Telegram ecosystem, has evolved from a simple chat tool into a multifunctional, high-growth platform, widely used for cryptocurrency trading, AI interaction, gaming, marketing, and automation services. According to the latest data, Telegram is expected to have over 1 billion monthly active users (MAU) and 500 million daily active users (DAU) by 2026, providing a vast user base for the Bot industry.
The industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven mainly by factors such as privacy protection, cross-platform compatibility, and an open development API, leading to the number of bots exceeding 10 million.
Key status indicators
User scale and growth: The Telegram user base is expected to grow from 950 million in 2024 to over 1 billion in 2026, with daily new users reaching 2.5 million. Bot usage is high, with about 32% of users frequently interacting with Bots. It is projected that MAU will reach 1.15-1.2 billion by 2026.
Revenue and commercialization: The advertising market size exceeds $10 billion, with Bots monetizing through paid content, advertising, and blockchain integration (such as TON). It is expected that platform revenue will reach $1-1.2 billion by 2026.
Regional distribution: Asia and Europe dominate growth, with high user proportions in markets such as India, Russia, and Indonesia.
Application categories: Bots cover multiple fields, including customer service automation (supporting payments and content distribution), gaming (Telegram Mini Apps attract 87 million users interacting in crypto games), AI tools (generative AI such as post summarization), and crypto trading (signals, sniping, and automation tools).
Major trends
Mini Apps and ecosystem integration: About 50% of users interact with Mini Apps, driving new advertising landscapes such as games and NFTs. Enterprises view Telegram as a high-interaction platform, with Bots used for sales, support, and payments.
AI and automation upgrades: The 2026 update introduces AI post summarization to improve content consumption efficiency. The chatbot trend is shifting towards multimodal interaction (voice, cross-platform), evolving from website widgets to revenue-driven AI agents.
Focus on crypto and DeFi: Crypto Bots (such as trading signals and sniping tools) dominate, with the best listings in 2026 including free trading Bots and automation tools. The crypto category in Mini Apps has 87 million MAU, with gaming at 79 million.
Regulation and risks: Increased regulation (e.g., removal of iGaming Mini Apps), proliferation of scam Bots (data collection, fake giveaways).
Competitive landscape: Platforms like Trengo and Microsoft Bot Framework dominate building. Industry leaders include retail, e-commerce, banking, and telecommunications.
The industry is generally optimistic but relies on the stability of the Telegram ecosystem (e.g., the founder's events do not affect the Bot backend). Future focus will be more on mobile AI and multi-chain integration.