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Pavel Durov

Pantera Capital Backs Telegram’s TON With Its Largest Investment Ever

Pantera Capital Backs Telegram’s TON With Its Largest Investment EverPantera Capital has made a significant investment in Telegram’s The Open Network (TON) blockchain, highlighting the platform’s large user base and potential for fostering cryptocurrency adoption and innovation in decentralized finance. This partnership is set to reinforce the principles of digital freedom and privacy advocated by Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, potentially increasing TON’s adoption and […]

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

The Eroding State of Privacy in the Crypto World

The Eroding State of Privacy in the Crypto WorldThe balance between privacy and regulatory compliance in the crypto world is increasingly threatened as high-profile cases, such as the sanctions against Tornado Cash and the legal troubles of Samourai Wallet, come to the fore, prompting a robust response from the community and its leaders. Crypto’s Battle for Privacy Intensifies in Face of Regulatory Clampdown […]

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Telegram commits to TON blockchain, plans to support tokenized emojis and stickers NFTs

Founder Pavel Durov outlined plans for the decentralized messaging app to tokenize stickers and power blockchain functionality on The Open Network.

The Open Network's Pavel Durov committed the future of messaging application Telegram to blockchain technology, announcing major plans to tokenize features, share ad revenue with users and onboard Tether’s stablecoin at Token2049.

Speaking in front of a packed house in Dubai, Durov sang the praises of blockchain’s ability to promote freedom and privacy before outlining ambition plans to build out functionality on The Open Network (TON).

“The reason we love blockchain. It’s a technology of freedom. We care about freedom. Even our logo, the paper airplane symbolizes freedom to move in three dimensions,” Durov said.

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Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Tether USDT stablecoin goes live on TON blockchain

Tether and Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem are coming closer together with USDT and XAUT launch on the TON blockchain.

Tether stablecoin operator is strengthening ties with Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem by launching its stablecoins like Tether (USDT) on The Open Network (TON).

Tether Operations announced on April 19 the launch of its U.S. dollar-pegged Tether USDT stablecoin and the gold-pegged Tether Gold (XAUT) stablecoin on the TON blockchain.

The announcement came in conjunction with Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino and Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s keynote speeches at the crypto event Token2049 in Dubai.

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Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Telegram’s Founder Advocates for Crypto-Inspired Hardware to Boost Secure Communications

Telegram’s Founder Advocates for Crypto-Inspired Hardware to Boost Secure CommunicationsPavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has proposed creating crypto-inspired hardware to enhance secure communication and protect privacy, a vision spurred by his unsettling experiences with governments, including attempts by the FBI to interrogate him and coerce a Telegram engineer into embedding backdoors in the app. These experiences have led Durov to explore technological solutions […]

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Toncoin to Be at the Center of Telegram’s New Ad Monetization Strategy

Toncoin to Be at the Center of Telegram’s New Ad Monetization StrategyToncoin, a top 20 cryptocurrency project, will be used by Telegram, the messaging platform, as a payment tool for its new advertisement strategy. Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, stated that toncoin would facilitate payments for customers of its advertising platform, announcing that it would share 50% of any profit from these ads with […]

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Telegram crypto bots gain momentum in the market: Binance Research

Daily volumes of crypto trades on Telegram bots hit a record high of $10 million in July, according to a new report by Binance Research.

Telegram bots have been increasingly emerging as a new tool to get exposure to cryptocurrency markets and a number of related services.

The cumulative crypto trading volume associated with Telegram bots exceeded $190 million as of early August 2023, according to a new report by Binance’s research arm Binance Research.

Crypto activity facilitated through Telegram bots has been specifically on the rise in recent months. On July 23, daily volumes of chatbots-enabled crypto trades hit a record high of $10 million, Binance Research’s chief financial officer Jie Xuan Chua wrote in the report. User metrics also hit a record high in July, reaching more than 6,000 daily unique users.

In total, Telegram bots have collected more than 15,500 Ether (ETH), or about $28 million, in all-time revenue, Chua reported.

Year-to-date daily trading volume on Telegram bots. Source: Binance Research

Just like common Telegram bots, cryptocurrency-enabled Telegram bots allow users to interact with certain programs to complete certain tasks by sending messages on the Telegram messenger. Such bots are often connected to peer-to-peer or decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges, enabling users to execute trades by using commands in the chatbot.

“By offering users a relatively seamless way to execute transactions, bots have the potential to carve out their own niche in the crypto ecosystem.”

According to Chua, Telegram bots could potentially become an integral part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem as they offer various types of crypto services, including trading, airdrop farming and automated token operations known as sniping. He added:

Telegram’s recent sharp growth in activity related to Telegram’s crypto trading bots should be attributed to surging prices of related tokens. The Unibot (UNIBOT) token, which serves as the governance token on the eponymous trading bot on Telegram, rallied as much as 400% by late July, hitting an all-time high of $199 on July 28.

According to Chua, UNIBOT was a key contributor to the recent burst of activity on Telegram trading bots. The token reportedly accounts for over 77% of the market in terms of its market capitalization.

Related: Telegram Wallet bot enables in-app payments in Bitcoin, USDT and TON

The analyst suggested that it’s too early to tell if recent growth in Telegram bots-enabled crypto activity suggest a trend reversal or is “merely a blip” before activity rallies again.

“Nonetheless, we will likely see continued developments, at least in the near future, as projects compete for market share,” Chua stated.

The CFO also called on users to conduct their own research before interacting with “any Telegram bot.” Considering the nascency of the sector, it’s essential for users to be aware of associated risks, including those related to security of assets and smart contracts, he added.

Magazine: Deposit risk: What do crypto exchanges really do with your money?

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Brazil Bans Telegram Temporarily Due to Alleged Lack of Collaboration in Fight Against School Violence

Brazil Bans Telegram Temporarily Due to Alleged Lack of Collaboration in Fight Against School ViolenceA federal judge in Brazil has ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram in the country and established hefty fines due to the supposed lack of collaboration of the company in a national crusade against school violence. Telegram failed to deliver information regarding the actions it is taking against neo-Nazi groups, and now it has been […]

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Crypto Groups on Russian Social Media Hit by Bots Discrediting Bitcoin

Crypto Groups on Russian Social Media Hit by Bots Discrediting BitcoinSocial media groups devoted to cryptocurrencies in Russia have been attacked by bots in what looks like a campaign against bitcoin and the like. Their comments on Russia’s largest social media platform are triggered by certain keywords like crypto and blockchain, members of the community have noticed. Bots Flood Vkontakte Groups With Comments Against Cryptocurrency […]

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job

Telegram to allow no-sim accounts via anon-blockchain-numbers

Telegram has increased its security features by enabling support from anonymous blockchain-based numbers that go for around $16.

Messaging app Telegram has rolled out a new update enabling users to create accounts using blockchain-based anonymous numbers, as opposed to cell phone numbers. 

Telegram already hides people’s private phone numbers from non-added users on the app, however, users will now be able to hide numbers from everyone, which is likely to please people who value privacy-focused features.

The messaging platform has become a popular app for crypto enthusiasts. The move is part of a 9.2 update launched on Dec. 6, which also enables users to auto-delete timers on messages in new chats.

To use the feature, users will need to purchase “blockchain-powered anonymous numbers” from Fragment, a decentralized auction platform founded by Telegram creator Pavel Durov.

Fragment sells user names and anonymous numbers that are only compatible with Telegram. Purchases are made on the platform via Telegram’s affiliated token The Open Network (TON).

Unfortunately for U.S. users however, Fragment does not offer its services to citizens located there.

blockchain-based anonymous numbers: Fragment

Upon purchasing a number, people can then use these private numbers to receive verification code texts after signing in to Telegram.

People can purchase a random number on Fragment for 9 TON ($16) or they can buy and sell ones via auction. It appears that some specific numbers are attracting a lot of demand, as “+888 8 888” currently has the highest bid of 33,075 TON ($60,527) at the time of writing.

Related: WhatsApp crash: Are decentralized blockchain messengers a real alternative?

Following the FTX debacle last month, Durov revealed via his Telegram channel on Nov. 30 that the company is building a suite of decentralized tools in response to yet another occurrence of malfeasance by a centralized crypto entity.

Adding to Fragment, Durov indicated that Telegram is looking to roll out noncustodial wallets and decentralized exchanges among other apps. 

“The solution is clear: blockchain-based projects should go back to their roots – decentralization. Cryptocurrency users should switch to trustless transactions and self-hosted wallets that don't rely on any single third party," he wrote.

Gala Games hit by $200 million in possible inside job