It is reported that there are 2,000 Telegram groups with more than 18 million members in cryptocurrency and blockchain related groups.
Crypto enthusiasts have always liked Telegram due to the platform’s focus on privacy and security. If you have never used Telegram, think ‘WhatsApp meets Twitter’ and you won’t be far off.
1. Finding groups
The links to join groups can generally be found on official project websites, Twitter pages or even in catalogue websites like telegramcryptogroups.com. Crypto groups generally fit into two types: broadcast or discussion groups.
Broadcast groups: This type of group is about one-way information with only admins posting information/updates. Common groups include official announcement groups or maybe those run by specific personalities giving a rolling feed of updates (networks statistics or trading tips, for example). The information in these groups is sometimes repeated information to what is posted elsewhere. However, it’s good to have a handy historic list of updates in one place.
Discussion groups: This is the type of group you are probably more interested in, as you can join and post comments directly in the chat. The size of a group is an important factor to consider. If it is too large then messages can sometimes get caught up in the flow of multiple people having their own conversations amid the main discussion. The best type of groups typically have between 100 to 5,000 members – any bigger than this and it gets messy. Don’t forget to review the pinned message when joining a new group.
2. Direct communication
In a Telegram group, you can choose to reply directly to a message in a chain or use ‘@’ to tag a question to an admin or team member. When you tag someone in, it sends a notification to the user and makes them aware of the post they may have otherwise missed. This is a great way to bring accountability to participants in the group.
3. Reaction from breaking news
Breaking news comes out almost daily in crypto, many announcements (whether positive or negative) relating to a particular exchange or project can sometimes be hard to decipher. Sure you can look at the chart and see what the price is doing but is that really giving you the full picture? Many Telegram groups are buzzing with chatter soon after any piece of breaking news. If no one is talking or you don’t understand what has happened don’t be afraid to re-ask a question if your concern or opinion wasn’t greeted with a satisfactory response (with admins tagged in).
4. Direct customer support
If you have an issue with a platform not working as expected, we’re sure you have maybe gone to the website and clicked for support. How about that time after you got an acknowledgement of an issue, but it is now 36 hours into the estimated 24-48 hr response time? Well, this is the time to start using Telegram groups for direct (with any relevant reference numbers) direct in the group chat. Maybe others have also had this issue and are awaiting responses. In most cases, this leads to a direct message from someone in the project team that can look to escalate and resolve your query.
5. Get stuck in (and be polite)
The final piece of advice is to get stuck in! Most community Telegram groups exist to engage directly with and within the community. Don’t be scared to ask a ‘dumb’ question or share an opinion. One top tip is to also be super polite, as coming across rude will not help your chances to get feedback or engage in a good discussion. Remember that most of the people there are in the groups simply to observe (it’s also okay to do this). They need people to keep prodding away at these projects to give them the accountability they signed up to.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author should not be considered as financial advice. We do not give advice on financial products.