The detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov marks the first major arrest of a company leader “for failing to adequately control their platform.” According to a report by Galaxy Research, it is unlikely to be the last, writes CoinDesk.
Analysts suggest that Durov and his team likely resisted French authorities’ requests to delete or provide information.
“It is possible that some allegations of ‘fraud’ or ‘money laundering’ may be linked to integration with TON and/or the use of TON in illegal activities,” the note states.
The blockchain associated with the messenger has over 350 validators worldwide, but it is unclear how many, if any, are used by Telegram. For this reason, it remains unknown “to what extent TON will prove resilient if France or other countries attempt to ‘attack’ or ‘destroy’ it in connection with Durov’s arrest,” experts highlighted.
Galaxy Research noted that the ability of TON to avoid association with the Telegram founder, and of other blockchains to avoid accusations of facilitating crime, will likely depend on their level of decentralization.
On Polymarket, the odds of Durov being released from custody by the end of August are estimated at 39%. The total volume of bets reaches $600,164.
The community has rallied in support of the Telegram founder following his detention.
Earlier, the Paris court explained the measures against Pavel Durov as part of a large-scale investigation into cybercrime, including the illegal provision of services and cryptography tools.