Hamster Kombat is a Telegram-based tap-to-earn game where players manage a virtual crypto exchange and earn coins. Its native token, HMSTR, will be released via airdrop on Sep 26, 2024.

's popularity surge has put a spotlight on the tap-to-earn variety of play-to-earn games. Now, another tap-to-earn game based on Telegram — 

 sector. The game allows each player to manage their own virtual crypto exchange, tapping to earn more coins and completing various tasks and activities to boost their earnings. Virtual coins accumulated in the game will soon be claimable, with the project's planned native token, HMSTR, set to launch on Sep 26, 2024. As of Sep 18, 2024, 

 has reportedly amassed an impressive user base of around 300 million players.

 is a hamster-themed play-to-earn game that was launched on March 25, 2024 on Telegram. Its players collect coins simply by tapping on the screen.

 Each tap earns you virtual coins, which can be claimed through the game's planned native token, HMSTR. 60% of the HMSTR supply is set to be released via 

You can easily start playing the game via the 

 telegram channel. Gameplay starts when you assume the role of a cryptocurrency exchange CEO, which is represented by a cute hamster avatar that can be customized with various skins. You’re given a choice of several exchanges to own. After making your selection, you proceed in the game by tapping on the image of the hamster. The tapping increases your virtual assets and in-game rank. There are also other ways to earn coins or boost your position, which we'll touch upon further in the article.

 encourages active and frequent participation. This concept is similar to other games that encourage user action via frequent, high-involvement tapping, clicking or swapping, e.g., 

 has amassed an impressive user base of 300 million players and thus far hasn’t been implicated in any fraudulent activity. It appears to be a legit game, although some users on social media have raised concerns about the lack of an immediate claim mechanism, as well as inconsistencies in some of the asset counters used in the game.

 is just a game for leisure and fun, and users shouldn't treat it as a definite asset accumulation opportunity. The game's legitimacy regarding payouts will become clearer once the HMSTR token is actually launched and users can claim their virtual coins in exchange for the cryptocurrency.

 is akin to another viral Telegram-based game — 

 also operated without a crypto token of its own, and was just a fun pastime, rather than a serious reward accumulation endeavor. In mid-May 2024, 

 finally launched its native token, NOT, which surged over 270% within a month, rising from its initial price of around $0.007 to $0.028 in June. However, it should be noted that 

 has since declined from its ATH of $0.028 and is currently trading at around $0.0077.

's tapping mechanics, the most basic gameplay in 

 simply requires you to tap on the hamster on the screen to earn coins. You can also boost your taps to earn more coins by leveling up boosters, such as 

which increases the number of coins you can earn per tap, and 

. You can also make use of daily boosters like

 for free (up to six times) when you run out of energy to tap.

 app daily, you’re given the opportunity to complete daily tasks and earn additional coin rewards of up to 50 million HMSTR, as well as exclusive skins. In general, these tasks are as simple as playing the game — you only need to tap on the available daily reward to claim coins. 

: Make sure to join the game at least once per day, for up to three weeks, in order to stay eligible for the daily task rewards for each day.

You can also receive additional rewards by completing task lists. Each task in the list earns you more points. Typical tasks involve joining the game's Telegram channel, following 

 or inviting friends to sign up to the platform.

The Daily Combo lets you win a sizeable bonus of 5 million coins each day upon getting the right combination of three specific exchange upgrades, spread across categories like Markets, Legal, PR & Team, Web3 and Specials. The Daily Combo resets daily at 12PM UTC, so you'll have to achieve the correct combination before the UTC day ends. You can attempt a maximum of three combinations per day, with each attempt limited to a certain number of moves. 

s Daily Cipher allows you to win 1 million coins by figuring out the word of the day using Morse code, a system of dots and dashes used to symbolize letters and numbers. After guessing the word of the day, you then have to tap out its Morse code. You can attempt to solve it up to five times per day. The Daily Cipher refreshes every day at 7PM UTC.

 also features 12 games and two mini games. You’re required to log in to the various game apps in order to earn up to four golden keys per game. The mini games are

 requires you to retrieve one golden key from the sliding puzzle of red and green candlebars within a time limit of 30 seconds. Meanwhile, you can earn more coins by sorting and pairing colored hexagon tile stacks on 

 is available exclusively through Telegram. You can search for 

 button to be directed to the game channel. You don't need to pre-purchase any crypto or connect a

 to start in the game — it's free to join and play.

Tips and Strategies to Maximize Your Profits

Tapping on the screen isn't the only (or even most effective) way to maximize your earnings in 

. As highlighted above, there are various ways to play 

. Below are some of the best ways for you to speed up your earnings and boost your profits.

 to earn passive income, even without tapping, by clicking on the 

 button at the bottom of the app to upgrade your exchange across various categories. By selecting the right card combo to upgrade, you can even earn an additional amount of 5 million coins each day from the Daily Combo.

: If you correctly complete both the Daily Combo and Daily Cipher each day, you’ll earn a total of 6 million coins per day. However, the Daily Combo and Daily Cipher aren’t easy to master without some guidance, so Bybit Learn is here to help you. Make sure to check out our daily guides to Daily Combo and Daily Cipher so that you can easily get your hands on 6 million coins each day!

's native token, with a total supply of 100 billion. Of the total supply, 60% is allocated to players via the upcoming 

 airdrop on Sep 26, 2024, with the remaining 40% reserved for providing market liquidity, ecosystem partnerships and grants, rewards for squads and more.

Bullish on this tap-to-earn token? Now you can be one of the early birds to get your hands on HMSTR — even before next week’s 

 has been running since Jul 8, 2024, 10AM UTC, at a floor price of 0.001 USDT. Meanwhile, HMSTRUSDT was 

Tap-to-earn Telegram games are all the rage now in the world of crypto gaming. It all started with 

's meteoric rise, which has now been further propelled by 

 has already surpassed many other prominent SocialFi games with its user base of 300 million. Meanwhile, 

 — the first tap-to-earn game that turned viral — has a user base of just 35 million. Furthermore, the 

teamcontinues to innovate with even more engaging gameplay and rewards, all of which have contributed to its spectacular success thus far.

Beginner

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What Is Hamster Kombat (HMSTR): Tap Your Way to Crypto Riches

AI Companions is a web3 platform that provides highly customizable and emotionally intelligent virtual companions to users looking to interact in the digital age.

We’re living in a rapidly changing digital world where technology has taken over our lives, greatly reducing human interactions. In this digital age, the internet and smartphones have reshaped our routines, dominating communication and daily tasks and leaving large numbers of people in civilized countries feeling isolated and with a deep craving for meaningful social interaction.

 (AI) companions, innovative virtual entities designed to provide immersive interaction between AI avatars and humans. These virtual companions are powered using generative AI technology, which consists of simulated emotional intelligence that’s designed to enhance the connection.

Against the backdrop of this growing demand for virtual AI companions, the 

 project AI Companions was created. It leverages AI, virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) and 

 to provide a personalized virtual companionship experience that meets each user's unique preferences.

AI Companions is a digital platform that allows you to create highly personalized virtual beings by leveraging AI, VR/AR and blockchain technologies to build an immersive virtual companionship experience.

 The platform aims to unlock endless opportunities in the rapidly expanding world of virtual companionship by providing a platform where emotions and technology can interact.

Unlike other platforms that offer interactions in the form of chatbots or visual aids, AI Companions’ unique proposition consists of a lifelike human interaction through virtual reality that re-creates what feels like an actual emotional connection. Furthermore, the platform has integrated blockchain technology to ensure security, transparency and privacy when interacting.

At the heart of these AI-powered interactions is the AIC token, which powers the platform’s transactions and seamless operation.

The vision and mission of AI Companions is to leverage innovative technology to provide users with what feels like an emotionally rich virtual companionship. To achieve this, AI Companions has integrated three core technologies: AI, VR/AR and blockchain.

The platform uses AI to identify and learn your preferences in order to create a personalized partner for you, and even allows you to utilize celebrity or influencer models. Furthermore, the presence of advanced VR/AR features makes the interactions more realistic, and enriches the experience even more.

Security, privacy and integrity are core when offering a product like this. To that end, AI Companions is built on blockchain technology in order to achieve key features, such as data privacy and security, through advanced encryption, user consent management using 

, and an immutable ledger for transparency and accountability.

The platform employs the following monetization strategies to ensure sustainable revenue generation centered on the AIC token.

To ensure maximum flexibility and accessibility, AI Companions uses a subscription model that caters to a range of preferences and budgets. The basic access model is free and allows access to limited features. There’s also a hybrid subscription that combines token-based and cash subscription models. Users stake AIC tokens to access features for the token-based model, while the cash model requires users to pay a monthly fee. The token-based subscription features a 20% fee discount designed to encourage users to pay using AIC tokens.

The “pay per experience” strategy allows users to pay for premium features and personalized experiences using AIC tokens without committing to a long-term subscription. This model allows you to access features such as customized packs, the ability to send virtual gifts to companions and even enhanced experiences such as upgraded VR environments.

AIC, the native crypto token for the AIC Companions platform, is a 

 token launched on BNB Smart Chain. The token powers the AI Companions platform and provides access to diverse features. When subscribing to the hybrid model, you can use the AIC token to pay for discounted fees. You can also stake your AIC tokens to gain additional value through access to premium features and experiences.

To maintain the token’s value, AI Companions will apply a buyback-and-burn strategy. The platform will use some of the profits generated to buy back AIC tokens and 

 some of them quarterly. This will reduce the circulating supply in order to increase the token’s value.

Moreover, the project will manage a treasury reserve designed to support long-term sustainability and growth. A portion of the bought-back tokens will be put in this reserve to ensure liquidity in the future.

The total supply for AIC is 1 billion tokens, distributed as follows:

AIC's price as of Sep 18, 2024 is $0.074 , just 8% lower than its ATH of $0.08177 on Sep 11, 2024, and almost 100% higher than its ATL of $0.03771 on Sep 10, 2024. Its market cap is approximately $66.9 million.

Is AI Companions (AIC) a Good Investment?

After a successful launch in the first week of September 2024, the AIC token has generally been on a positive trajectory during which its value increased by over 115% within a 24–hour period. Such reception from the market indicates that AI Companions is providing an in-demand product in its niche.

Statistics predict that the AI market could hit $1 trillion by 2028, while the VR niche could be worth $57.55 billion by 2027. Projects such as AI Companions that offer innovative products leveraging these technologies are strategically positioned to reap big from this growth. In addition, AI Companions has a strategic and detailed road map designed to steer the project toward sustainable growth, including extensive community building, expansion of the platform’s capabilities, marketing campaigns and increased exchange listings.

As the digital age continues to unfold and AI increasingly shapes our lives, investing in the AIC token, which is the heart of the project, could be profitable due to the increased demand for AI and VR/AR-related products. That said, we strongly recommend you 

 before investing in AI Companions, since crypto projects are prone to volatility. AIC’s price volatility is evident in the extreme swing between its ATL and ATH just a day apart from Sep 10 to Sep 11, 2024.

There's a growing demand for AI companion markets as human interactions diminish due to technological advances. Projects such as AI Companions are timely in filling this void by combining AI, VR/AR and blockchain technologies. AI Companions offers users the opportunity to interact intelligently with virtual entities, making AIC a crypto to watch as its platform seeks to align with the needs of the digital age.

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AI Companions (AIC): The Future of Personalized Relationships

The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.75%-5%, its first reduction in four years.

The SPX index was down by 0.29%, after initially hitting a record high before turning lower following the Federal Reserve's decision to cut rates by 50 basis points. Coindesk Indices, an index measuring broader cryptocurrency market performance was up by 3.21%, with Bitcoin rising by 0.13% and Ether dropping by 0.80%, in the past 24 hours.

Today's top performer is TAIKO, which surged 27.4% following the launch of the Taiko Grant Factory Hackathon, offering $100K in prizes for sustainable Web3 innovations.

Taiko (TAIKO), launched in May 2024, is a fully open-source, Ethereum-equivalent ZK-rollup scaling solution designed for decentralized, secure and permissionless operations. 

 starts on September 25, 2024, inviting innovators to build solutions in the Taiko ecosystem. The hackathon focuses on long-term sustainable projects across three tracks: DeFi/AI/DAOs, Gaming/NFTs/SocialFi, and Social Impact/ReFi. Participants are required to deploy projects on Taiko, submit a 6-month grant proposal, and explore sustainable Web3 business models. The total prize pool is $100,000, with $30,000 per track and additional special awards. For details and registration, visit the Taiko hackathon page.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.75%-5%, its first reduction in four years. Following the announcement, Bitcoin briefly rose to $61K before falling back below $60K. The Fed expects further rate cuts to bring the benchmark rate to 4.4% by year-end. U.S. equities closed lower after an initial gain, and gold hit a new high before retracing. The dollar index fell to its lowest level since July before recovering. Crypto-related stocks and cryptocurrencies saw volatility, with increased correlations to broader risk assets.

Yesterday, the total outflow for BTC Spot ETFs was $52.7 million, with $8.1 million from GBTC and $44.6 million from non-GBTC funds.

, a decentralized network focused on private, user-owned data and AI, has raised $25 million with backing from Coinbase, Paradigm, and Polychain. Their Telegram bot allows users to mine Vana points, which can be converted into $VANA tokens during the token generation event (TGE). Users can also earn points by completing daily tasks, challenges, and inviting friends.

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Fed Cuts Rates by 50 Basis Points Spurring Positive Price Momentum for BTC and Altcoins

Explore our article to find out what’s the Cipher Code for today’s Hamster Kombat’s Daily Cipher Code.

, where your skills in decoding daily Morse code puzzles can significantly enhance your mastery over your crypto exchange. Every puzzle, released at 7PM UTC, not only sharpens your mind but also offers the chance to earn considerable in-game rewards.

 lies the Daily Cipher, a challenge that invites players to unlock Morse code puzzles. Successfully solving these daily puzzles not only increases your coin stash but also enhances your strategic thinking, crucial for navigating the game’s complexities.

Today’s Hamster Kombat Daily Cipher: Sep 19, 2024

 Daily Cipher for Sep 19, 2024, is as follows:

Ensure each Morse code sequence is entered with precision and slight pauses between letters to confirm correct execution and secure your reward.

 by trying out the following strategies: 

Gain an early advantage by trading HMSTR tokens through Bybit’s Pre-Market Trading. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

The Daily Cipher and the various interactive gaming activities within 

 provide numerous opportunities not only to enhance your coin balance, but also deepen your involvement in the game. Each successfully decoded puzzle contributes to your financial growth and sharpens your analytical abilities, enriching every gaming session with both rewards and intellectual stimulation.

Stay connected for daily updates and expert advice to ensure you continue to excel in the dynamic and exciting world of 

Intermediate

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A Guide to Hamster Kombat's Daily Cipher Code (Sep 19, 2024)

Crypto Insights

Institutions still favor Bitcoin over Ether, even though the latter is likely getting a green light from the SEC for its Spot ETFs. 

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Bybit Data: Institutions Continue to Favor Bitcoin

Following the approval of Bitcoin Spot ETFs on January 10, 2024, Bitcoin’s price saw a 46% increase in February 2024 and peaked in mid-March with an all-time high of $73.7K. Despite the pullback in April and rebound in May, institutional holdings of Bitcoin continued to increase persistently throughout the half-year period. 

On the other hand, Ether’s position by institution saw a surprising decrease in May 2024, dropping from 10.8% on April 30, 2024, to 9.9% on May 31. Institutions have been acting as the smart money this time, with their Ether positions increasing in April as the market lost faith in the SEC’s ETF approval, and reducing in the wake of the approval.

In short, institutions still favor Bitcoin over Ether, even though the latter is likely getting a green light from the SEC for its Spot ETFs. The reasons behind this are likely a combination of TradFi’s accumulation of Bitcoin and the subdued attraction of Ether Spot ETFs.

Impact of TradFi’s Accumulation of Bitcoin

BTC Positions From Top Hedge Funds Are Quite Small

Following Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals in January 2023, the 13F reports for Q1 2024 are the first of their kind to be released that cover the position change for traditional asset managers. 

It’s surprising that over half of the top 25 hedge funds invested in Bitcoin Spot ETFs in the first quarter of 2024. 

Top Hedge Funds’ Bitcoin Position % as AUM. Source: Bybit

While Bitcoin wasn’t dominant, its presence in the portfolios of major hedge funds is still significant. For example, at Millennium Management, Bitcoin Spot ETFs, including IBIT and FBTC, account for the 18th-largest position in the firm's portfolio, comprising over 0.3% of its total assets under management (AUM).

This suggests that even traditional, non-crypto-focused hedge funds are starting to view Bitcoin as an attractive investment. Known for their flexibility and embrace of volatility, hedge funds may be drawn to Bitcoin due to its potential for outsized returns as compared to more traditional asset classes.

Prior to the recent disclosure of these 13F filings, crypto-native hedge funds had been the primary institutional buyers of Bitcoin. However, the fact that mainstream, non-crypto hedge funds are now accumulating Bitcoin positions speaks to the growing market optimism around Bitcoin Spot ETFs.

These ETFs provide established asset managers with regulated investment vehicles to gain exposure to Bitcoin, which offers unique investment characteristics, such as its limited supply and lack of correlation with other asset types. As such, Bitcoin is clearly gaining recognition among a wider range of institutional investors — even if it remains a relatively small part of their overall portfolios for now.

Once Traditional Asset Classes Are Starting to Invest in Bitcoin — And It Won't Be a One-off Event

It's unlikely that investors have already allocated their full targeted exposure to Bitcoin in the first quarter of 2024. The true extent of their positions will likely become clearer when the next round of 13F filings is released in mid-August.

Traditional hedge funds, in particular, probably haven’t invested their entire desired Bitcoin allocation so far this year. This is especially true given that Bitcoin has continued to set new all-time highs, making current investment costs less appealing from a trading perspective.

Instead, the Bitcoin positions we've seen reported so far in Q1 2024 are likely just initial stake-building by these institutional players. Hedge funds, with their typical 5-year investment horizons, are usually more focused on buying low and selling high to maximize returns; they aren’t the 

ers that some other crypto investors have become. In particular, the lowest Bitcoin price point observed so far in Q1 2024 has only been around $58,000. This relatively mild drawdown may not have provided a sufficiently attractive entry point for these sophisticated investors to deploy their full intended allocations.

We'll likely get a better sense of hedge funds' true Bitcoin exposures and strategies when the next round of regulatory filings is disclosed in mid August. The current data only provides a partial glimpse into institutional crypto adoption trends.

When it comes to Bitcoin Spot ETF investments, we believe pension funds stand out as some of the most impressive institutional players. As long-term, risk-averse investors, pension funds are poised to be the true HODLers in this space.

Based on the latest 13F filings, Wisconsin Investment Board appears to be one of the few pension funds that’s been allocated to Bitcoin Spot ETFs so far. This makes sense, as pension funds generally have much longer investment horizons as compared to more active traders, such as hedge funds.

Similar to the way that hedge funds are approaching Bitcoin, we don't believe Wisconsin's investment in the Bitcoin Spot ETF is a one-off. Just as Warren Buffett gradually built up Berkshire Hathaway's position in Apple over 2016 and 2017, we expect pension funds to increase their Bitcoin exposure methodically over time.

Another potentially significant source of long-term Bitcoin investment could come from corporate America. While early movers like MicroStrategy and Tesla have already allocated corporate treasury funds to Bitcoin, we may see more firms follow suit and use Bitcoin Spot ETFs as a way to hold the cryptocurrency.

 cash balance to direct Bitcoin holdings, rather than through an ETF. However, holding Bitcoin via a Spot ETF could be an easier option for many corporations looking to reduce custody and counterparty risks.

Cash held by Corporate America (Feb 2024). Sources: Harvard Business Review, Bybit

The data presented in the table above suggests that if corporate America were to allocate just 5% of its aggregate cash reserves into Bitcoin, that would be equivalent to 25.5% of Bitcoin's total market cap. This highlights the sheer scale of the potential demand that could be unleashed if more major corporations start treating Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, in a similar fashion to early movers like MicroStrategy and Tesla.

Will Bitcoin Continue to Outperform Ether?

Bitcoin Dominance Halts Since 19b-4 Approval of Ether Spot ETFs

The ETHBTC ratio has been in a downtrend since September 2023, likely due to anticipation of Bitcoin Spot ETF approvals. It briefly bounced above 0.05 in January after the BTC ETF launch, as investors betted on an upcoming Ether Spot ETF.

However, the ratio has since continued falling, only recently bottoming out as Ether Spot ETFs near approval. At 0.053, the current ETHBTC level remains well below historical averages, indicating Bitcoin's outperformance.

Ether Spot ETFs Are Unlikely to Repeat Bitcoin Spot ETFs’ Success

Approval of 19b-4 documents by the SEC was an initial step toward the eventual approval of Ether Spot ETFs. The market expects the SEC will need to sign off on the registration statements, known as S-1s, submitted by the fund issuers, likely sometime this summer.

The key question is whether we'll see another rally in Ether and other cryptocurrencies after the expected ETF approval in July 2024.

In the lead-up to the SEC's green light, Ether jumped from $3,000 to $3,700 — a 20% increase as compared to just an 11% rise in Bitcoin over the same period. This narrowed the performance gap between the two largest cryptocurrencies.

In our view, the market has largely priced in the approval of an Ether Spot ETF, as there are no major uncertainties surrounding this imminent event. Compared to Bitcoin's gains since Q4 2023, Ether has only about 30% room to catch up.

However, the SEC's specific classification of Ether as a commodity or security in its official ETF approval could still fuel another rally, as the market may then anticipate approval of similar ETFs for Solana, XRP or other altcoins.

It's also worth noting approved Ether Spot ETFs will likely lack a staking feature, per the revised application forms. This may drive some traditional financial institutions to consider holding Ether directly through regulated custodians, rather than a Spot ETF.

In our view, both Bitcoin and Ether will continue to see price appreciation as more crypto ETFs launch, with the broader crypto market likely remaining highly correlated.

 from Bybit Institutional suggests that Bitcoin and Ether are the mainstay assets in institutional portfolios. Therefore, the slight outperformance of Bitcoin against Ether may not make a huge difference to the overall returns of these diversified crypto holdings.

Looking ahead, Bitcoin may likely continue to be the preferred choice for traditional finance (TradFi) institutions newly entering the crypto market, given its status as 

In contrast, Ether's positioning as the "app store" of the crypto ecosystem may not be as unique an attribute for these TradFi players. Many Web 2.0 companies have stronger fundamentals than those of applications built on Ethereum, which also faces intensifying competition from other Layer 1 protocols.

Bitcoin Bull Rally Persists, Likely Due to Institutional Accumulation; Bitcoin Might Outperform Ether Near-Term

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Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards