‼️The Arrest of Durov and Other High-Profile Cases: A Trend or Coincidence?

On August 24th, at 8:00 PM local time, the founder and CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was detained by French special services at Le Bourget airport.

This news quickly spread across Telegram channels, sparking widespread discussion and speculation.

But Durov’s arrest is not an isolated incident; it is far from the first time that figures in the crypto industry have faced similar issues.

❗️BTC Banker: The Arrest of Anatoly Legkodymov and His Team

In January 2023, Anatoly Legkodymov, the creator of BTC Banker, the largest Telegram bot for cryptocurrency exchange, was arrested in the United States.

A few weeks later, the entire project team, including Pavel Lerner, the creator of Exmo and Yutorg exchanges, was also detained.

Since then, they have been held in France, awaiting trial.

There has been little information about the case, and the lawyers are essentially powerless, as the case is controlled by the U.S.

The only one who managed to avoid arrest was Anton Shkurenko, who stayed in Moscow.

❗️The December Arrest and the Fate of Crypto Enthusiasts

In December 2023, another member of the crypto community involved in cryptocurrency exchange was arrested upon arrival in France.

This information did not make it to the Russian media, but those in the know are aware of it. Along with him, other individuals were detained, including the pregnant wife of one of the arrested.

Since December, they have been held in isolation, awaiting trial, alongside the BTC Banker team.

❗️The Arrest of the Tornado Cash Team

Two years ago, members of the Tornado Cash team were arrested.

Those who were abroad were detained.

Lesha was sentenced to six years in the EU, while Roma avoided prison but was placed under house arrest while awaiting trial in the U.S.

❗️New Arrests in the UAE

A month ago, 10 Russians were detained in the UAE and immediately extradited to the U.S.

This incident was not reported in the media, but the charges involve circumventing sanctions through cryptocurrency payments.

Once again, those who stayed in Russia managed to avoid arrest.

❗️The Case of Vinnik and BTC-e

The name Vinnik and the history of BTC-e are well known.

Employees of the successor exchange, Wex, were also arrested abroad but were released only under special conditions, likely involving recruitment.

❗️The Fate of Roman Sterlingov and Bitcoin Fog

The creator of the Bitcoin Fog mixer, Roman Sterlingov, was arrested in 2021.

After three and a half years of waiting for trial in a U.S. prison, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

His defense recently filed an appeal, but the prospects for overturning the sentence remain uncertain.

⁉️ Question: Is Telegram Really Neutral?

Recent events have shown that Telegram's neutrality is under question.

One striking example is the rapid removal of channels dedicated to tax optimization in Russia.

In a short period, the following channels were deleted:

◽️Obnalshchik — 200,000 subscribers
◽️Beneficiary — 70,000 subscribers
◽️Plan B — 50,000 subscribers
◽️Taxes without Pi — 30,000 subscribers
◽️ProService — 25,000 subscribers
◽️Tax Specialist — 18,000 subscribers
◽️Paper Factory — 33,000 subscribers

All of this happened without any official requests or court rulings.

This shows that Telegram is actively involved in processes that may be unnoticed by the general public but have serious consequences.

All these stories raise many questions about freedom and security in the digital world as well as in real life.

Satoshi Tweeted🔑

🔔Recently, the TON network experienced disruptions caused by the massive activity of players in the DOGS tap game during token distribution.

However, on September 26, the listing of Hamster Kombat on the OKX platform is expected.

To seize the earning opportunity, users are advised to register on OKX in advance, fund their wallets, and be ready for the launch of the Hamster Kombat token.

📺Crypto TV📺

🚀 Three Fronts Against Telegram: Internet, Censorship, and Crypto

The creator of Telegram is facing pressure from state structures due to issues related to internet and communications, censorship, and cryptocurrencies.

Let's break down why tension is being felt on each of these fronts.

🛜 Internet and Communications

For decades, intelligence agencies have been accustomed to controlling phones, the internet, and cellular communications worldwide.

Questions have been raised about Telegram's Secret Chats, where encryption keys are stored by users.

In some ways, the system is similar to Signal Messenger, which has 40 million MAUs, 20 times fewer than Telegram.

Since 2016, Signal has operated legally in the U.S., while Telegram has been around for 11 years despite criticism from NGOs.

Question: Could it be about more than just encryption?

With over 900 million users, Telegram can extract vast amounts of data even from metadata, contact lists, and GPS.

Unlike Facebook and other major platforms, Telegram does not always provide information upon court order, raising further questions.

💬 Censorship of Social Networks

Censorship in social networks is on the rise. For instance, in the EU and Ireland, there's ongoing discussion about banning Twitter due to excessive freedom of speech.

In China, Iran, Korea, and Turkmenistan, many platforms have long been banned.

In the U.S., debates are ongoing about increasing moderation. The trend is concerning:

📱 Facebook automatically blocks 16 topics using neural networks and has made this available in open-source Llama3.

📱 The Prime Minister of the UK criticized Musk for insufficient moderation of Twitter during protests, demanding stricter censorship.

📱 Trump was banned on Facebook in 2021 but was reinstated in 2023. Could this be the result of political pressure?

The founder of Telegram believed he could manage without an excessive compliance team, unlike YouTube (20,000 moderators) and Facebook (15,000 moderators).

But judging by global trends, the control over censorship is only growing.

💸 Crypto

Global authorities are increasingly tightening control measures over cryptocurrencies:

⚫️ The global reserve currency is fighting for monopoly and targeting those who do not cooperate or are involved in laundering hackers' money or evading sanctions. Will BTC be banned?

⚫️ The EU plans to introduce a crypto-euro, enabling full automation of tracking every transaction, with all data stored in a government blockchain.

⚫️ Facebook attempted to launch its cryptocurrency Libra, but the project was suspended.

✉️ What's Next?

Fighting on three fronts is a serious challenge for a company already facing financial difficulties.

Telegram stands at a crossroads. The future will show whether the platform can withstand the pressure from global forces or if it will have to find new paths.

Satoshi Tweeted🔑

💎 AdsGram Grant Giveaway to Grow Your Telegram App!

A new grant program has been launched, offering monthly support to projects for growth and monetization through the AdsGram.ai platform.

To participate:
1️⃣ Fill out the special grant form here.
2️⃣ Register on AdsGram here.
3️⃣ Wait for confirmation and participate in one of five grant categories: S, M, L, XL, XXL.

Key conditions:
— Register on AdsGram.ai
— Spend the following amounts on AdsGram.ai:
⚫ S — 10 TON
⚫ M — 50 TON
⚫ L — 100 TON
⚫ XL — 250 TON
⚫ XXL — 500 TON — Post about your partnership with AdsGram on social media (Telegram, X) with a mention of your username.

For grants in the L — XXL categories, SDK integration into your app is required.

🚀 Don’t miss out! This is your chance to get a grant and grow your project!

🇺🇸 Harris' Tax Plan: What's in Store for Crypto Investors?

Kamala Harris' proposal for a $5 trillion tax increase — the largest in American history — is already raising numerous questions and concerns, especially among those investing in cryptocurrencies and tech companies.

Let's break down how this could impact the crypto world and the economy as a whole.

📉 Corporate Tax: A Blow to Business and Investment

Harris proposes raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, making American companies less competitive on the global stage.

For crypto companies, already struggling to survive, this means additional costs and potentially decreased investor interest.

More than a million small businesses in the U.S. are registered as corporations, and this tax hike will affect them just as much as giants like Google or Apple.

The result? Lower wages, higher prices, and possibly a capital flight abroad.

📈 Capital Gains Taxes: A Hit to Crypto Investments

Harris also plans to raise capital gains taxes to match personal income tax rates.

This could double the tax rate on investment income, creating a barrier to investing in cryptocurrencies and other assets.

Many investors are already dealing with inflation taxes, and higher taxes will only make things more difficult.

Expect asset prices, including crypto, to drop if this plan is implemented.

💸 Taxes on Unrealized Gains: An Attack on Long-Term Investments

One of the most controversial aspects of Harris' plan is taxing unrealized gains, meaning profits that have not yet been realized.

This could mean that investors are taxed on expected profits, even if the market drops and the profits never materialize.

For crypto investors and small business owners, this could become a nightmare: paying taxes year after year on profits that don’t actually exist.

📊 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: What’s Next?

Harris plans to let the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 expire, leading to a significant tax increase for small businesses.

The expiration of this law could be the final blow for those hoping to survive in the current unstable economy.

💸 What Does This Mean for Cryptocurrency?

Increased tax pressure, especially in terms of corporate and investment taxes, could severely hinder the development of crypto projects and investments in this sector.

These tax proposals have sparked heated debates on social media, with many concerned about their potential impact on both the U.S. economy and the cryptocurrency market.

❗️ Key Changes:

⚫️ Taxation of Unrealized Gains at a rate of 25% on investments and assets, forcing Americans to pay taxes on gains that have not yet been realized.

⚫️ Raising the Corporate Tax Rate from 21% to 28% would make American businesses among the highest-taxed in the developed world, potentially leading to lower wages and higher prices.

⚫️ Increasing the Top Personal Income Tax Rate to 44.6%, affecting high-income earners and possibly reducing overall investment.

These changes pose significant risks to the economy and financial stability in both the U.S. and the cryptocurrency world.

Will we face a "tax Armageddon"? Time will tell.

Satoshi Tweeted🔑