🔒Pavel Durov detained in Paris, per the French Mass Media

Media reports that Pavel Durov was detained at Paris's Le Bourget Airport upon exiting his private jet.

"Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging service Telegram, was arrested this Saturday evening around 8:00 PM as he disembarked from his private plane on the tarmac at Le Bourget Airport. The arrest was made by the GTA (Air Transport Gendarmerie).
The 39 years old French/Russian citizen was accompanied by a woman and his bodyguard.

Listed in the FPR (Wanted Persons File), Pavel Durov was arriving directly from Azerbaijan. A French search warrant, issued by OFMIN - the French National Judicial Police, was issued based on a preliminary investigation."

Your correspondent @TonPost

⚡The warrant was issued because Durov did not cooperate with French law enforcement, which makes him an accomplice in illegal drug trafficking and other serious crimes — TV channel TF1.

Source
@TonPost

🐶TON Digital Resistance

The TON Community rallied in support for Mr. Durov and the Telegram team in light of recent news.

"Pavel is a symbol of the values upon which our community is built. We are confident that his commitment to freedom of speech and a decentralized internet will continue to inspire millions of people around the world."

They also urged everyone to remain calm and united.

Here’s what we know at this time:

- The Paris Prosecutor's Office, which has taken over the case of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, plans to make a press statement on Monday, August 26th.

- Edward Snowden stated that Durov's arrest is an infringement on the human right to freedom of speech, and he is dismayed that Macron has descended to "taking hostages".

- Vitalik Buterin believes that the situation with the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France is alarming for the future of software and communication freedom in Europe.

- Elon Musk has supported Durov following his arrest.

- Durov is detained in France at the request of the USA, according to Russian Senator Klimov. According to the senator, the US operates on the principle of "if you are not with us, you are against us."

Your resistance @TonPost

⚡Statement from the Telegram Team

Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act; its moderation adheres to industry standards and is continually improving.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov frequently travels across Europe and has nothing to hide.

Claiming that the platform or its owner are responsible for abuses that happen on the platform is absurd.

Nearly a billion users worldwide use Telegram as a means of communication and a source of important information.

We look forward to a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram stands with all of you.

Your resistance @TonPost

❗️Update on the situation in France

- Pavel Durov is being interrogated as part of an investigation against an unnamed individual suspected of numerous cybercrimes, according to the Paris prosecutor's office. People in the community speculate that the unnamed individual might be Mark Karpeles.

- Pavel Durov's detention in France is set to expire on August 28, according to the country's prosecutor's office.

- Macron stated that Durov's arrest is "not a political decision," and the detention occurred as part of an ongoing judicial investigation.

- The UAE has demanded that France urgently provide its citizen Pavel Durov with access to all necessary consular services, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

- Telegram might be banned in India as the country's authorities have initiated a review of the app. The reason provided remains the same - aiding criminal activities.

- The UN is monitoring the situation with Durov's arrest in France but has not commented yet, per the office of the Secretary-General to RIA Novosti.

- Tekashi 6ix9ine has spoken out in defense of Pavel Durov.

- French websites, including government ones, have been hit by a wave of DDoS attacks following Durov's detention.

- Today, TON blockchain will undergo a stress test: up to 10 million transactions to be completed simultaneously. This comes against the backdrop of the DOGS listing.

Your correspondent @TonPost

🐶TON Society's first-of-its-kind initiative: get France to #FREEDUROV

An open letter has been launched in Telegram in the form of a mini-app 💌

Every single person who values privacy and freedom of speech should sign this petition to the French authorities. We need to gather hundreds of millions of signatures.

TON Society calls on the French authorities to:
1️⃣Release Mr. Pavel Durov from custody
2️⃣Allow Telegram to protect freedom of speech and personal data of its users

#DigitalResistance is here. #FREEDUROV.

As always, we encourage you to share this post with the hashtag #FREEDUROV, sign the open letter and share it in your Telegram stories.

🆓🐶 https://t.me/tgresistancebot/letter

Your resistance fighter @TonPost

👑Today, Pavel Durov was accused of several crimes mentioned in the introductory statement of the prosecutor's office

Those charges include managing an online platform for illegal transactions as part of an organized group, refusal to provide necessary information to authorities for authorized data interceptions, among others.

He is also accused of money laundering obtained through criminal means as part of an organized group and providing and importing cryptographic tools without proper authorization.

Durov has been placed under judicial control, required to post a 5 million euro bail, report to the police twice a week, and is barred from leaving France.

Telegram has been repeatedly mentioned in cases of various offenses such as pedocriminality, drug trafficking, and inciting hatred online. The company's lack of response to judicial requests drew the attention of the cybercrime department of the Paris prosecutor's office, leading to an investigation into the potential criminal liability of the messenger's leaders, according to the document presented in the post.

We continue to hope for a reasonable resolution of the situation #FreeDurov.

Your Hachiko @TonPost

🎮Chinese Game Developers move to TON Blockchain

Game developers from China are increasingly turning their attention to TON blockchain games.

Following the success of simple games like Notcoin and Catizen, many Chinese small and medium studios started exploring opportunities to develop and distribute projects on this blockchain platform.

TON is attractive because of its integration with Telegram, providing access to a global audience of 900 million users.

Developers see TON as a chance to break free from traditional gaming platforms and the complex licensing and regulations they face in the domestic market. Here, Chinese companies can quickly launch projects and attract users, expanding their presence on the international stage.

With the growing number of players and games on TON, these developers are eager to tap into this "gold mine" for a new wave of growth and development in the gaming industry.

Your player @TonPost

🤪The TON blockchain has reached an impressive milestone of 1 billion transactions

Remarkably, half of this volume has been made the last three months, showing the rapid gain in activity and popularity of the platform.
This highlights the significant role that TON plays in the future development of the blockchain ecosystem.

Anatoly Makosov stated that according to TON API data, the transaction volume has already surpassed 1.3 billion transactions.

Your impressive @TonPost

🪙TON Listed on UzNEX

Toncoin has started trading in Uzbekistan, according to a press release by the local crypto exchange UzNEX. Today, UzNEX launched its updated Platform 2.0 along with TON listing.

The platform offers a total of 15 coins for trading, including Bitcoin. Next week, deposits and withdrawals in TON should be available.

Earlier, at the end of June, Kazakhstan's financial market regulator approved TON for licensed trading, coinciding with a visit to the country by Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

Pavel Durov visited several Central Asian countries this summer, such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, to explore how locals use Telegram and why. He discovered that more than half of the population of Kyrgyzstan uses the messenger monthly.

The French magazine Paris Match reports, citing credible sources, that the court has divided Pavel Durov's bail of five million euros as follows: one million must be paid immediately, and the remaining four million are to be paid in five monthly installments.

One source mentioned that Telegram's office "never received a notice of Durov's search." However, there was a search warrant, not an arrest warrant for the CEO.

The current events actually highlight Pavel Durov’s importance as a tech innovator and influential figure in the crypto industry. His trips across Central Asia, including visits to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, reflect his ambition to understand and meet the digital needs of local users.

At the same time, the financial and legal troubles related to his arrest demonstrate the challenges faced by leading entrepreneurs internationally. This creates a complex situation where success and challenges are closely intertwined. But we are confident that everything will turn out well!

#FREEDUROV
🆓🐶 https://t.me/tgresistancebot/letter

Your motivational @TonPost

😘Pavel Durov thanks you for the love and support!

Last month, Pavel was interrogated by the police for four days after his arrival in Paris. He was told that he might be personally liable for the illegal use of Telegram by others because French authorities had not received responses from Telegram.

This came as a surprise to Pavel for several reasons:

1. Telegram has an official representative in the EU who handles and responds to official requests. Their email address is publicly available to anyone searching Google for “Telegram EU address for law enforcement.”

2. French authorities had numerous ways to contact him for assistance. As a French citizen, he was a frequent visitor to the French consulate in Dubai. Some time ago, he personally helped set up a hotline with Telegram to combat the threat of terrorism in France.

3. If a country is dissatisfied with a specific internet resource, the common practice is to take legal action against the organization itself. Using pre-smartphone laws to accuse a CEO of crimes committed by third parties on his platform is a flawed approach. To create new technology is challenging enough. No innovator would create new tools knowing they will be held personally liable for their potential misuse.

Finding the right balance between privacy and security is complicated. It requires aligning privacy laws with the demands of law enforcement and regional laws with EU laws. Technological limitations also come into play.

As a platform, the objective is to have consistent processes worldwide while ensuring they are not abused in countries with weak legal systems. We strive to engage with regulators to find the right balance. Yes, we stand by our principles. This includes protecting our users in authoritarian regimes. But we are always open to dialogue.

Sometimes, Telegram cannot reach an agreement with a country's regulating authority on the right balance between privacy and security. In such cases, leaving that country becomes an option. This has been done many times. When Russia demanded encryption keys for surveillance, Telegram refused, and was then blocked in Russia. When Iran demanded blocking of peaceful protesters' channels and got refused, Telegram got blocked in Iran.

"We are prepared to exit markets that are incompatible with our principles because we are not driven by money. We are driven by the intention to do good and protect people's fundamental rights, especially in places where these rights are violated," says Pavel Durov."

This does not mean Telegram is perfect. The fact that authorities were confused about where to send requests could be addressed and improved.

"Claims by some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchy paradise are absolutely false. We delete millions of harmful posts and channels every day. We publish daily transparency reports (like this one and this one). We have direct hotlines with NGOs for expedited processing of urgent moderation requests.".

However, Telegram hears those who claim this is not enough. The sharp increase in Telegram users to 950 million has created growth challenges, making it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. Therefore, Pavel has personally set to ensure significant improvements in this area. His team has already started some reforms within the company, and soon Durov will share more detailed information about their progress.

"I hope that the events of August will result in making Telegram — and the social networking industry as a whole — safer and stronger. Thanks again for your love and memes".

Your grateful @TonPost

🩵TON Foundation commits $24 million for DeFi Development

The TON Foundation has added another $24 million in TON for their DeFi incentive program. This brings the total value of the program to date to over $75 million.

The TON Foundation initially launched this program in April to foster user engagement with decentralized finance (DeFi) applications on the TON platform.

At the launch, the program offered 11 million Toncoin as incentives, which is now worth nearly $53 million.

The additional 5 million TON allocated today is to reward liquidity providers in pools on STONfi and DeDust - two of the largest automated market maker (AMM) DeFi protocols operating on the TON blockchain.

Your DeFi @TonPost

🪙HOT Wallet x The Open Network

The devs from HOT Wallet, a non-custodial multi-chain wallet on Telegram, have announced an upcoming partnership with TON blockchain.

Recently, their app has undergone several notable improvements:
- Upgraded core wallet functionalities
- Swaps through the STON.fi platform
- Integration with TON Connect, for access to all dApps in the TON ecosystem
- Support for TON NFTs in partnership with GetGems
- Educational initiatives on the blockchain

The company's upcoming plans include:
- Support for staking TON through Tonstakers
- Exchange of Stars for TON and vice versa
- Cross-chain bridge to TON from other networks
- Development and integration of TON dApps on HOT Wallet

HOT Wallet plans to seamlessly integrate its 21 million wallet users into the TON blockchain, as well as to attract more Telegram users into HOT Wallet.

Your partner @TonPost

🚕In Singapore, you can pay for taxis with TON

TADA, a popular taxi booking service operating in Southeast Asian countries, is expanding its capabilities.

The company has introduced a new Telegram mini-app allowing users to book rides directly in the messenger and pay with Toncoin through Tonkeeper. This way, people can make fast and secure transactions, leveraging the benefits of the TON blockchain.

As a result, passengers can enjoy a more convenient and efficient payment method, while TADA gains an innovative edge in the competitive transport services market.

Your efficient @TonPost

⭐️TON is now trading on Revolut

Revolut, a leading international fintech platform, has expanded its cryptocurrency portfolio to add TON. This feature will reach over 45 million users of the app, providing them with new opportunities for investment and trading.

As of right now, users in the United Kingdom and European Union countries can start trading TON.

However, this is just the beginning: in the near future, the platform will bring this feature to users in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Singapore. We also expect it to become available to business accounts in the UK and EEA countries.

To start trading TON, go to the "Crypto" section on the Revolut platform.

This recent rise in accessibility and liquidity will undoubtedly attract new investors and users to the ecosystem, on top of expanding TON's visibility.

Your convenient @TonPost

💵1 billion USDT has been issued on the TON network!

Tether has authorized an additional $300 million USDT on TON. Now its total issuance exceeds 1 billion, making TON the 4th largest blockchain by USDT circulation.

However, there is still a long way to go. For comparison, the Ethereum blockchain boasts 53 billion USDT, while Tron has reached 61 billion USDT.

With the rapid development of DeFi on TON, along with other favorable conditions, we are sure that TON will indeed outpace others in the future!

→ USDT issuance by blockchains

Your emissive @TonPost

🪙New TON Mintless Jetton Technology

TON developers introduced an innovative token standard extension called Mintless Jettons. This extension makes decentralized airdrops possible without the need for traditional issuance processes.

Mintless Jettons are a new type of token on the TON blockchain that allow for mass decentralized airdrops to millions of users without significant costs or blockchain load.

What problems does the new standard address?
- Traditional issuance processes are labor-intensive and costly when distributing to a large number of users
- By using Merkle trees, Mintless Jettons store only one hash representing all distributed amounts, reducing storage requirements
- Users can immediately use their tokens: send, trade, etc., without preliminary steps like withdrawals or applications. It just works!

How about on-chain protocols?
Mintless Jettons are still supported in on-chain protocols. Since Mintless Jettons are an extension of standard Jettons, no additional steps are required. You can interact with them the same way as you would with USDT, NOT, Scale, or STON.

For developers, Mintless Jettons open up new opportunities for large-scale and cost-effective token distributions. This makes it easy to integrate new loyalty and reward programs into their applications.

For users, this means more convenient interaction with tokens, skipping unnecessary delays and extra steps, though we must be aware of potential spam and flood distributions, for which a separate containment mechanism should be developed.

→ Description
→ Standard
→ Smart Contract

Your mintless @TonPost

🪙Bitget and Foresight invest $30 million in TON

The cryptocurrency exchange Bitget and Foresight Ventures have announced a $30 million strategic investment into The Open Network (TON).

The goal of this investment is to support projects on the popular messaging app Telegram, particularly games with a "tap-to-earn" revenue model. Games like Hamster Kombat and Notcoin have attracted millions of users in recent months with their token-earning opportunities.

The investment will be made through buying of TON tokens, according to the companies' statement. This would deepen Bitget and Foresight's involvement in the governance and development of the TON blockchain.

TON-based projects demonstrate significant potential for mass adoption through the Telegram ecosystem, which has expanded its offerings for Web3 startups in recent years.

"The growth of the TON ecosystem represents the most significant opportunity for growth in the cryptocurrency market this year," said Forrest Li, Chairman of The Block and Co-founder and CEO of Foresight Ventures.

Previously, TON has benefitted from the following investments:
- $10 million from DFW Labs
- $10 million from Cypher Capital
- Animoca Brands
- Hashkey Group
- $300 million from Pantera Capital, and others

These moves by major funds and market players show that the potential of TON in synergy with Telegram is being increasingly recognized, marking a truly historic time.

Your strategic @TonPost

📊Over 10 million active TON wallets

Anatoly Makosov shared in his blog that the number of monthly active wallets in the TON network has reached a whopping milestone of 10 million🤘

This confirms the growing popularity and trust of users in the TON blockchain.

→ Visit tonstat.com

Your growing @TonPost

🏰TON x MomoAI: a new chapter in Web3 gaming!

The developers of the Solana blockchain-based gaming project have announced that they will be integrating with TON. MomoAI is a kiwi farming game that operates on the Metaoasis platform, featuring high-quality graphics and cinematic effects generated in real-time on the blockchain.

In just two months, MomoAI has reached 1 million organic users, with over 700K monthly active users and 160K daily active users. The devs are gradually transitioning core in-game assets, transactions, and premium features to the TON network.

Their roadmap focuses on integrating TON wallet, in-game rewards, and migrating tokens/NFTs to the TON network. They also plan to launch joint campaigns and offer TON-based NFT items as bonuses.

Such developments are fostering and strengthening the competitiveness of TON and its position in the world of decentralized technologies. TON has established itself as a powerful and reliable platform for implementing complex decentralized applications.

All this confirms that TON is not just another blockchain, but a truly impressive technology setting the standards for the future of the Web3 industry.

Your revolutionary @TonPost