Telegram CEO Slams ‘Baseless’ France Case Amid Content Debate

- Pavel Durov calls the French criminal investigation legally unfounded - Telegram expands in Web3 as institutional confidence grows in its TON ecosystem Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized the French criminal investigation against him, calling the case baseless and unsupported by any evidence. According to reports from Mitrade, Cointelegraph, and TradingView on August 25, 2025, Durov addressed his August 2024 arrest in a Telegram post, where he described the situation as "unprecedented" and "legally and logically absurd." He also asserted that technology executives should not be responsible for user activity on their platforms. This legal dispute highlights escalating tensions over content moderation and government efforts to hold technology platforms accountable. Consequently, Durov’s arrest spurred an outcry from the crypto community, human rights organizations, and free speech advocates, who criticized the French government’s actions as a coercive attempt to compel Telegram to censor content. Despite these challenges, Telegram is making significant strides in the Web3 space through its partnership with The Open Network (TON). In a recent milestone, Verb Technology announced a $558 million funding round and its plan to rebrand as TON Strategy Co. (TSC). TSC subsequently declared Toncoin its primary treasury reserve asset, and the company now holds over 713 million Toncoin, with total assets exceeding $780 million. This strategic shift reflects growing institutional confidence in the TON ecosystem. Durov’s legal troubles have also influenced Toncoin’s market dynamics. For instance, following his 2024 arrest, Toncoin’s price dropped over 20%, while heightened market volatility drove a 32% surge in open interest for the token. Although the TON network saw a temporary spike in user engagement, activity levels have since normalized as advancements in Web3 technologies continue to drive the evolution of Telegram’s ecosystem. According to CoinMarketCap on August 25, Toncoin (TON) was trading at $3.303 as of 02:08 UTC. This price reflects a 2.311% decline in the past 24 hours, although the token’s 24-hour trading volume increased by 3.217%.