Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
International Business Times
International Business Times
Business
Marvie Basilan

France Arrests Telegram CEO Pavel Durov – Is This Why Satoshi Nakamoto Retained Anonymity?

Pavel Durov Telegram Satoshi Nakamoto HE Justin Sun Justin Sun France Crypto Elon Musk Ton Tucker Carlson
Pavel Durov co-founded the TON blockchain with his brother. (Credit: AFP)

KEY POINTS

  • The TON blockchain co-founder's arrest drew comments from RFK Jr. and Elon Musk
  • TRON's Justin Sun suggested a DAO to help Durov with his legal fees
  • Telegram has called the allegations against its CEO 'absurd'
  • Many crypto users said Durov's arrest highlights why Bitcoin's Nakamoto chose anonymity

Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested in France as part of a probe into the alleged lack of moderation on the popular social media platform. His arrest has gained widespread attention, and for many in the cryptocurrency industry, the tech executive's battle for freedom is also their own.

Accusations related to criminal activity on Telegram

Durov has been accused of failing to curb alleged criminal activities on Telegram. A source told AFP News that a French office specializing in preventing violence against minors issued the arrest warrant against the 39-year-old billionaire. The allegations against Durov include fraud and organized crime, among others.

The crypto executive, who originally designed popular blockchain The Open Network (TON) with his brother Nikolai in 2018, was arrested Saturday at an airport near Paris after arriving from Azerbaijan's Baku.

Key crypto figures react to the arrest

Bitcoin advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had just withdrawn from the presidential race and endorsed Republican Donald Trump, said Durov's arrest only means that "the need to protect free speech has never been more urgent."

TRON blockchain founder Justin Sun suggested the organization of a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) to help with Durov's legal fees. He tagged tech magnate Elon Musk in the post and said he will personally donate $1 million to the cause if the DAO is created "in a decentralized way with enough community support."

In another post, Sun said he was "deeply concerned" about Durov's fate following the arrest, noting that Telegram is a crucial platform that promotes "communication freedom and privacy."

Pseudonymous trader Sweep, who is prominent in some crypto community circles, said Durov was arrested "for failing to censor the truth on his application."

DeFi defense lawyer Carlo D'Angelo wrote that Durov's arrest represents "a potential watershed moment in how governments approach tech platform accountability." He noted how Telegram has become "a haven for crypto communities," and Durov's detainment by French police now challenges the notion that decentralized systems are truly free since their creators are faced with "legal jeopardy."

Telegram is popular among many crypto users. The platform is a prominent integration avenue by many projects across the crypto space. It also caters to various Web3 games and GameFi titles.

Many other crypto users criticized the arrest, saying it made no sense why Durov was detained over crimes committed on the platform he created.

Telegram pushes back

On Sunday, Telegram said its leader "has nothing to hide." It blasted the allegations against Durov, saying it was "absurd" to claim that Telegram or Durov were "responsible for abuse of that platform."

Other influential people join in

X owner Elon Musk reposted a clip of Durov's interview with political commentator Tucker Carlson. He also reposted a clip of his interview with Don Lemon, where he said, "moderation is a propaganda word for censorship."

Carlson also came to Durov's defense, saying the tech executive's case should be deemed as "a warning to any platform owner who refuses to censor the truth at the behest of governments and intel agencies."

Rumble Video CEO Chris Pavlovski revealed Sunday he has left Europe after Durov's arrest, adding that "France has threatened Rumble."

The link to Satoshi Nakamoto's anon state

Many crypto users are associating Durov's arrest with Satoshi Nakamoto's choice to remain anonymous even after he moved on from his Bitcoin project.

Financial writer Zack Voell said Nakamoto's "greatest gift was staying anonymous," while software engineer Ben Kaufman said the $BTC creator would probably have been arrested "by any Western country" if he didn't stay anonymous.

Toncoin ($TON), the native token of the TON blockchain, has been down by over 1% in the past 24 hours, as per CoinGecko data. Durov is expected to stay under French custody for at least another 96 hours.

Read more
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Coachella 2025 has unveiled its full lineup with Post Malone, Green Day and Lady Gaga
Green Day, Post Malone and Lady Gaga have been announced as headliners for Coachella 2025.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
People around world associate rolled R with a jagged line, study finds
Speakers of 28 languages linked sound and shape at least 88% of the time, in ‘strongest case of sound symbolism to date’
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
8 revelations from Cher's memoir
Cher details some of the famous people she grew up with and the desperation she felt being married to Sonny Bono
Salon
Salon
Trump's Grammatical Time Machine
The president-elect uses conditional grammar to craft self-fulfilling speculative historical fiction.
Reason
Reason
Duct-taped banana artwork sells at auction for almost £5m to crypto entrepreneur
Justin Sun purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives him the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it “Comedian.”
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Banana Taped To A Wall Sells For $6.2 Mn In New York
A fresh banana taped to a wall -- a provocative work of conceptual art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan -- was bought for $6.2 million on Wednesday by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur at a New York auction, Sotheby's announced in a statement.
International Business Times
International Business Times
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play