MNEE Gatekeeper

MNEE Gatekeeper: Monetize Telegram channels with crypto subscriptions. One-click MNEE payments unlock exclusive content—no banks, no borders, just instant blockchain-verified access.

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MNEE Gatekeeper

Telegram-Native Subscription Paywalls Powered by MNEE Stablecoin

🔮 Inspiration

Content creators on Telegram have a problem: monetizing exclusive content is either impossible or requires trusting third-party payment processors who take hefty cuts and impose geographic restrictions.

Meanwhile, crypto-native communities struggling with subscriptions face the volatility problem—nobody wants to pay 0.001 ETH today when it might be worth double tomorrow.

I wanted to build something that solved both problems at once: MNEE Gatekeeper, a Telegram Mini App that lets channel owners accept stable, programmable subscription payments directly in their chat platform—no payment processor middlemen, no volatility, no geographic restrictions.

The key insight: Telegram Mini Apps + MNEE stablecoin = frictionless, global subscription commerce native to where creators already have their audience.

What it does

MNEE Gatekeeper is a turnkey subscription paywall system for Telegram channels:

  • Channel Registration: Owners register their private channels and set up subscription plans (7-day, 30-day, lifetime, custom pricing)
  • Mini App Checkout: Subscribers open a beautiful in-Telegram Mini App, connect their wallet, and pay with MNEE
  • On-Chain Verification: The backend verifies the ERC-20 transfer directly on Ethereum—no trust required
  • Automatic Access: Upon payment confirmation, the bot generates a single-use invite link and delivers it instantly
  • Subscription Management: Expired subscriptions are automatically tracked, with optional removal from channels

The entire flow happens without leaving Telegram, creating a seamless Web3 commerce experience disguised as a familiar chat interaction.

How we built it

We chose technologies optimized for both reliability and developer experience:

  • The Interface (Mini App): Built with Next.js 14 and Tailwind CSS, the Mini App uses Reown AppKit for wallet connections. It integrates deeply with Telegram's WebApp SDK for native theming and user context.

  • The Settlement Layer (MNEE): We use Wagmi and Viem to interact with the MNEE ERC-20 contract on Ethereum. Payments are simple transfer() calls—no complex smart contracts needed. The backend uses getTransactionReceipt to parse Transfer events and verify exact amounts.

  • The Backend (API Routes): Next.js API routes handle Telegram webhook events, payment verification, and invite link generation. All state is persisted in Supabase (PostgreSQL).

  • The Bot (Telegram): Uses node-telegram-bot-api for command handling, inline keyboards, and delivering invite links after successful payments.

Architecture Highlights

User → Telegram Bot → Mini App (Connect Wallet)
                          ↓
                  MNEE Transfer (On-Chain)
                          ↓
              Backend Verification (Parse Logs)
                          ↓
            Generate Single-Use Invite Link
                          ↓
                 User Joins Channel ✅

Challenges we ran into

  • Telegram Mini App Context: Getting user identity reliably required handling both the initDataUnsafe from Telegram and graceful fallbacks for development environments.

  • Transaction Parsing: Verifying the exact Transfer event from the MNEE contract required careful attention to address checksums, amount matching, and handling edge cases like multiple transfers in a single transaction.

  • Single-Use Links: Telegram's invite link API has quirks—we needed to set proper expiration times and member limits to ensure each link works exactly once.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Zero-Trust Payment Verification: We never ask users to "confirm" their payment—the blockchain is the source of truth. The backend independently verifies every transaction hash.

  • Native Telegram Experience: The Mini App feels like part of Telegram, not a jarring redirect to an external site. Theme colors, user context, and instant access all contribute to a polished UX.

  • Creator-First Design: Channel owners can self-register channels and manage plans entirely through bot commands—no admin panel needed to get started.

What we learned

  • Stablecoins unlock real commerce: The moment you remove volatility, crypto payments become viable for everyday transactions like subscriptions. MNEE's USD stability is essential for pricing recurring access.

  • Telegram is underrated for Web3: The Mini App platform provides a captive audience of crypto-aware users who are already comfortable with bots and channels. It's the perfect distribution layer for Web3 apps.

  • Simplicity wins: Rather than building complex escrow or streaming payment contracts, using simple ERC-20 transfers and off-chain subscription tracking keeps the system reliable and auditable.

What's next for MNEE Gatekeeper

  • Multi-Channel Dashboard: A web dashboard for creators to manage multiple channels, view analytics, and track revenue—all paid in MNEE.

  • Tiered Access: Support for multiple subscription tiers within a single channel (e.g., Basic vs Premium content).

  • Recurring Payments: Explore ERC-20 permit/approve patterns to enable true auto-renewal without repeated user interaction.

  • Revenue Splitting: Automatic distribution of subscription revenue to multiple wallets (e.g., for collaborative channels with multiple creators).

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