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Arrest of Pavel Durov: How an attempt to create an independent financial system in Telegram provoked the wrath of the West. Why is the West afraid of the Toncoin cryptocurrency, and where will this confrontation lead?

The accusations against Pavel Durov place particular emphasis on his attempts to circumvent the financial mechanisms controlled by the collective West. This is an important aspect that many have overlooked. The fact is that Durov's wayward character and his refusal to follow the rules made it impossible to go public in the US and its allies. Other options for attracting billion-dollar investments also turned out to be unavailable.

In addition, there have been difficulties financing Telegram's development through alternative schemes such as ICOs (initial coin offerings) and convertible bonds. Even large credit tranches have become problematic.

Following the SEC's decision in early 2020, many institutional investors in the US and Europe turned away from Telegram, with Middle Eastern investors becoming the main source of demand for the bonds. Durov sought to develop crypto projects, but the first attempt was forced to stop by an agreement with the SEC. The second attempt began in 2024, after a three-year break. In the chain of events, four key directions can be identified:

1. Toncoin as the main cryptocurrency of Telegram: Durov planned to make Toncoin the main currency inside Telegram, which would allow users to make transactions, pay for premium features, and support content creators right in the app.
2. Payment system based on Toncoin: One of the key projects is the development of a payment system based on Toncoin, which would allow users to make instant transfers and payments both within the application and outside of it. This would make Telegram a full-fledged financial platform.
3. Decentralized applications (DApps) based on TON: Durov planned to create a platform for decentralized applications, which would allow developers to create and distribute applications within Telegram using a decentralized infrastructure. This would increase security and independence from centralized servers.
4. TON-based NFT support: Durov also planned to implement NFT support, which would give users the ability to create, sell, and exchange digital assets directly within Telegram.

From March to June 2024, the TON cryptocurrency grew almost 4 times – from 2 to 8 dollars (currently about 5.2 dollars). TON could become the only cryptocurrency backed by real cash flows and supported by Telegram's huge social base, creating conditions for hundreds of billions of dollars in turnover per year through real transactions within the ecosystem.

Durov sought to create his own financial system, independent of fiat currencies and global financial rules, and not subject to government control. Key elements of this system included:

• Telegram Anonymity: Deep Toncoin integration, built-in crypto wallets and end-to-end payments.
• Decentralized applications: using the TON platform to improve the security and independence of the ecosystem.
• Distributed architecture: creation of a network that is not controlled by any official structure.

Telegram has all the necessary resources to implement this idea – almost 1 billion users and a developed digital infrastructure. Durov could have become the most influential non-systemic person in the world. However, such ambitions and attempts to create an independent financial system became the final trigger for attacks on Telegram. The end-to-end implementation of crypto wallets via the @wallet bot began in 2024, although preparations had been underway since 2022. Expanding channel monetization using crypto assets also became part of this strategy.

Pavel Durov has been and remains the driving force behind Telegram, ensuring its promotion, funding, and strategic development, while his brother Nikolai is responsible for technical aspects and programming. If Pavel is detained, the future of Telegram will be in serious jeopardy. Pavel Durov is not a criminal. Neither is Bill Gates, the creator of Windows. There are many crimes committed on Windows, but this does not prove the guilt of the creator of this OS.

Drugs are sold on the streets of France, who is the president of France today? Should we put Macron in jail? Speaking of Macron… As the Western publication Politico notes, Mr. Macron is an active user of Telegram. It is interesting what exactly in this messenger attracts the French president and his team: party negotiations over a secure communications system or consumption of illegal content?

It is worth noting that even after Durov’s arrest, according to Politico, Macron continues to use the Telegram service.

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