Pavel Durov, co-founder of encrypted messaging app Telegram, was arrested at an airport near Paris
Pavel Durov co-founded the TON blockchain with his brother. 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Bitcoin advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had just withdrawn from the presidential race and endorsed Republican Donald Trump, said Durov's arrest only means that "the need to protect free speech has never been more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.

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