Tapping Syndrome: Inside Crypto-currency Gamble Driving Nigerians ‘Crazy’

In the face of economic hardship and a desperate desire for financial success, some Nigerians have embraced a peculiar trend of constantly tapping their phone screens on Telegram, believing they’re mining cryptocurrency.

The phenomenon has swept across the nation, with people from all walks of life engaging in this activity on the streets, in motor parks, and even while driving.

The ‘madness’ as some have described it, centers around a cryptocurrency company called Tapswap which aims to raise awareness about its coin and attract more people to Web 3 – the ecosystem that powers cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Instead of traditional advertising, Tapswap has gamified the process, encouraging people to “tap” their phones as if they were mining currency.

THE WHISTLER learnt that Tapswap promises rewards in the form of airdrops to participants who complete certain tasks and refer others.

The strategy has turned phone tapping into a widespread activity, with users believing they’re engaging in crypto mining.

A viral video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) shows a tricycle rider attempting to navigate traffic while simultaneously tapping his phone.

Another trending clip on Facebook features a young woman using both hands and feet to tap on three different phones simultaneously to meet her target. These have raised concerns about the safety of Tapswap and potential for addiction.

Oluwafunmilayo Emmanuel, a journalist based in Abuja, shared her experience with Tapswap: “I tap intermittently. I tap at work, I tap when I get back home. Although I can’t tap as much when I’m at work, I tap more when I’m at home. I tap deep into the night.”

Emmanuel explained that the app is designed to continue “mining” even when users aren’t actively tapping. She views her involvement as a business venture, citing previous success with platforms like Notcoin, which paid her money.

The journalist has been a crypto trader for a long time and got introduced to Tapswap through her younger brother who regularly surfs the internet and brings to their notice any opportunity to make money.

Emmanuel said she first joined crypto currency trading for fun, but later took it seriously when crypto platforms like notcoin paid her.

“I’m into it now because it’s paying my bills. It’s like I’m doing a business now,” she said.

Speaking further on her experience with Tapswap, the journalist said: “The experience has been awesome, although many say that it’s for lazy people, but I doubt it because trading in crypto requires so much dedication and time. You know when you’re a crypto trader you always have to be online looking out for when the coins will drop so that you can quickly buy and lookout for when they’re going up so that you can quickly sell.

“So it is tasking, but totally an awesome experience. You do it from the convenience of your home. All you need is your mental capability and mental strength to do it.

“It’s something I’ll encourage young people to do as a side hustle. You can do it while you’re on your way to work. Even when you’re sleeping, you’re making money. All you need to do is go to your phone, open Tapswap, leave your phone on and it keeps tapping into millions.”

According to Emmanuel, she earned N70k from Notcoin and used money to sort her bills. She’s, however, yet to earn anything from Tapswap and prays that it pays soon.

Usman I. Zakkariya, a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Kaduna State, is another crypto enthusiast who dedicates 5-10 minutes daily to tapping, having purchased a bot to automate the process for him.

“For Tapswap, we created a group on Telegram so that when you click on a link, it takes you to the bot that keeps tapping for you. As you tap, your points increase. So, you’re expected to keep tapping for like 2 to 3 months. Anytime you click on that bot, your points continue to increase.”

Zakkariya said he has been into crypto trading for over 5 years, and has benefited from different mining platforms like Notcoin which gave him $200.

Like Emmanuel, Zakkariya noted that he’s yet to earn from Tapswap because it’s a new project.

“But they said the mining process will end by the end of this month and they’ll begin the process of converting the coins accumulated into Tapswap coins.

“Like what happened to us in Notcoin, every one million is equivalent to one thousand notes, so that if you have ten million coins, you have ten thousand notes.”

Asked if he suspects that Tapswap is a scam, the NYSC member said: “I cannot say it’s a scam or legit because if some projects want to scam people, they’ll ask them to deposit additional coins into the project. Like what’s happening to Tapswap now, they said for people to double the point accumulated, they have to deposit one ton coin.

“A coin makes one ton. And the price of each is almost $7.1. So they said for them to double their points in dollars, you have to deposit that one ton to them. So that’s why people think Tapswap is a scam.”

Zakkariya was introduced to Tapswap by a crypto influencer he met on Facebook, who told him about the new mining project powered by the Solana blockchain.

Adekunle Michael, a lead Web3 Engineer at Nahmii, shared his perspective with THE WHISTLER on Tapswap and similar products.

He categorizes them as “Memecoins” or “Shitcoins” – cryptocurrencies with no inherent value, deriving worth solely from community or celebrity endorsement.

Michael explains that while Tapswap may resemble mining, it’s actually a form of airdrop – a marketing strategy where new crypto projects reward early adopters.

According to him, users aren’t truly mining on the blockchain but rather accumulating points in a centralized database.