{"id":22176,"date":"2025-03-18T12:24:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T10:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wallet-explains-its-approach-to-freezing-user-wallets\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T12:24:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T10:24:22","slug":"wallet-explains-its-approach-to-freezing-user-wallets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wallet-explains-its-approach-to-freezing-user-wallets\/","title":{"rendered":"Wallet explains its approach to freezing user wallets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Several Russian activists reported that their cryptocurrency wallets in Telegram\u2019s integrated Wallet service were frozen, resulting in losses. The bot\u2019s team outlined the grounds for such restrictions.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What happened?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Daniil Chebykin, co-founder of the Omsk Civic Association, said that in early February Wallet froze his cryptocurrency soon after the activist was <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/bad_list_updates\/2315\">added<\/a> to Rosfinmonitoring\u2019s list of \u201cextremists and terrorists\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"ru\" dir=\"ltr\">Telegram Wallet \u0441\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u0430\u0435\u0442 \u0441 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u043c\u0438 \u0441\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/p>\n<p>\u041d\u0435 \u0440\u0435\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0443\u044e \u0438\u0441\u043f\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u044c \u043a\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u044e\u0442\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043a\u043e\u0448\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043a Telegram Wallet <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wallet_tg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@wallet_tg<\/a> , \u0435\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u0443 \u0432\u0430\u0441 \u0435\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u0432 \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438, \u0442\u0430\u043a \u043a\u0430\u043a \u043e\u043d\u0438 \u0441\u043e\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u0441 \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043e\u043e\u0445\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u043e\u0440\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u0438 \u0431\u043b\u043e\u043a\u0438\u0440\u0443\u044e\u0442 \u0441\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/maW8UXbytv\">pic.twitter.com\/maW8UXbytv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Daniil Chebykin (@chebykin_d) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chebykin_d\/status\/1901561398636757008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>According to him, support cited violations of the User Agreement, so the assets were frozen with no right of withdrawal.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe loss is small, ~170 USDT. But I wanted to warn all anti-war Russians about the situation,\u201d Chebykin said, accusing the bot of cooperating with the Russian authorities.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In comments under the tweet, Lev Gyammer, editor-in-chief of Skat Media, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/bad_list_updates\/1510\">been<\/a> on the \u201cextremists and terrorists\u201d list since September 2023, reported a similar case. He lost about $100.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\">\n<p lang=\"ru\" dir=\"ltr\">+++<\/p>\n<p>\u0422\u0430 \u0436\u0435 \u0444\u0438\u0433\u043d\u044f, \u0447\u0443\u0442\u044c \u0431\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0435 $100 \u043f\u043e\u0442\u0435\u0440\u044f\u043b \u0442\u0430\u043a<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u041b\u0435\u0432 \u0413\u044f\u043c\u043c\u0435\u0440 (@HammerOfFreedom) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HammerOfFreedom\/status\/1901582405963542913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Internet Protection Society, also faced a wallet freeze. He has <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/bad_list_updates\/2083\">been<\/a> on Rosfinmonitoring\u2019s list since August 2024.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\">\n<p lang=\"ru\" dir=\"ltr\">\u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438\u043b \u041a\u043b\u0438\u043c\u0430\u0440\u0435\u0432 (\u0434\u0438\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440 \u041e\u0417\u0418, \u043a\u0430\u043d\u0430\u043b \u0417\u0430 \u0422\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043a\u043e\u043c) \u0442\u043e\u0436\u0435 \u043f\u0438\u0448\u0435\u0442, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0435\u043c\u0443 \u0437\u0430\u0431\u043b\u043e\u043a\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0438 wallet , \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0451\u043c \u0434\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e <\/p>\n<p>\u0421\u0443\u0434\u044f \u043f\u043e \u0432\u0441\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0443\u0445\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0432\u0435\u0440\u044f\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0441\u043e \u0441\u043f\u0438\u0441\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438 \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0444\u0438\u043d\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0438\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0430<\/p>\n<p>\u0412\u043e\u0442 \u0442\u0435\u0431\u0435 \u0438 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043c\u0435\u043d \u043a\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0442\u043e\u0439! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9gtCDFwFiI\">pic.twitter.com\/9gtCDFwFiI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Daniil Chebykin (@chebykin_d) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chebykin_d\/status\/1901695903477485965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The clauses of the <a href=\"https:\/\/wallet.tg\/user_agreement.pdf\">User Agreement<\/a> cited by Wallet\u2019s support concern limitations on services and interaction with third-party providers.<\/p>\n<p>Clause 5.5, in particular, sets out the service\u2019s right to refuse services and freeze assets if \u201canti-money-laundering policies or other Wallet policies\u201d are violated. Funds may also be frozen in cases of confirmed suspicious activity or at the request of law-enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWallet reserves the right to refuse to return any deposit that has not passed anti-money-laundering screening if the deposit amount is insufficient to cover the blockchain network fees required for its return,\u201d the document states.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Clause 7 notes that responsibility for purchasing cryptocurrencies and conducting other transactions via third-party services lies with the user. Wallet also stresses its independence from the non-custodial TON Space wallet, access to which is governed by separate terms and conditions.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wallet\u2019s comment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In a comment to ForkLog, the Wallet team said it independently monitors various sources to determine users\u2019 risk profiles and follows \u201cclearly defined <span data-descr=\"Know Your Customer\" class=\"old_tooltip\">KYC<\/span>, <span data-descr=\"anti-money laundering\" class=\"old_tooltip\">AML<\/span>\/<span data-descr=\"counter-terrorist financing\" class=\"old_tooltip\">CTF<\/span> policies and procedures\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>They added that, like any custodial service, Wallet cannot take responsibility for evaluating decisions issued by courts and law-enforcement bodies in different countries.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe wallet strictly adheres to the principle of neutrality. That is, it screens users objectively and impartially, without bias or discrimination. We believe it is important that all users, regardless of their race, gender, religion, nationality or political beliefs, pass through equally fair KYC, AML\/CTF procedures,\u201d the team said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When an account is frozen, funds remain on balance but cannot be withdrawn until all required internal or external checks are completed. This is necessary to prevent illegal use of the service and to protect the wallet and its users from dubious crypto transfers.<\/p>\n<p>The Wallet team does not disclose detailed statistics on freezes.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cTemporary or permanent blocks in custodial services are standard practice, codified in international standards and local AML\/CFT laws and regulations. All freezes are based on identified risks and on internal or external reviews aimed at preventing unlawful operations,\u201d representatives of the service added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Freezing USDt is standard practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In April 2024, the USDT issuer Tether <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/tether-expands-usdt-support-to-ton-network\">added support for<\/a> The Open Network (TON) blockchain. At the time of writing, aggregate liquidity of <span data-descr=\"Tether on TON\" class=\"old_tooltip\">USDt<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/tether.to\/ru\/transparency\/?tab=usdt\">stands at<\/a> $1.42bn.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXd2N02gdnFw783lmmAzXgI9FYfkvQ7gWQDPRZrWH6_-7fCKkFd1qvHlywgLw2-W3jphOQIdsn9EGV-qjwJZP7MRCGqIq_hIqBF4dQ0JZSf7vuXYAUhA2BQEJLBBCeJYuGWfLp0R?key=W13Js4_bIwsfF5fpaUO_USUK\" alt=\"\u0412 Wallet \u043e\u0431\u044a\u044f\u0441\u043d\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0434\u0445\u043e\u0434 \u043a \u0431\u043b\u043e\u043a\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043a\u0435 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0437\u043e\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u043a\u043e\u0448\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0432\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Data: Tether.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In January 2025, on a ForkLog podcast, Anatoliy Makosov, technical lead of <span data-descr=\"develops the core of The Open Network blockchain\" class=\"old_tooltip\">TON Core<\/span>, said the USDT freeze function exists on all networks.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mcJing2mxGo?si=iQWAV-GdVEDvGf6w&#038;start=1107\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cBecause compliance must be observed; it is standard equipment for stablecoins,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Asked about freezing Toncoin, the speaker hesitated to answer:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI did not check; I think there wasn\u2019t. Unfortunately, we have scammers and spammers, as in any other blockchains.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Shortly after the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/telegrams-pavel-durov-detained-in-france\">arrest<\/a> of Telegram founder Pavel Durov by the French authorities as part of an <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/french-authorities-clarify-pavel-durovs-detention\">investigation<\/a> into illegal activities by third parties via Telegram, the messenger announced <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/durov-announces-enhanced-moderation-on-telegram\">tighter moderation<\/a> of content and began to <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/telegram-enhances-response-to-eu-authorities-requests\">handle and respond promptly<\/a> to legal requests from authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether wallet information is disclosed alongside user data, Makosov noted that \u201cTON and Telegram are different things, and the Telegram team does not develop TON\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe have integrations in the messenger\u2014for example, Stars [<a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/pavel-durov-announces-launch-of-telegram-stars\">Telegram Stars<\/a>] can be converted into Toncoin on the Telegram side, or usernames can be converted into NFTs and auctioned on the blockchain. However, TON is a decentralised blockchain: we have no censorship, and we have no way to block any wallets, simply because that is the essence of a blockchain,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Journalist Maria Kolomychenko <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/kolomychenko\/7\">wrote<\/a> on her channel that Telegram is unlikely to disclose statistics on cooperation with Russian security agencies because it is classed as an organiser of information dissemination (ORI). The framework is set out in <a href=\"https:\/\/base.garant.ru\/70709018\/#:~:text=%D0%B8%D1%8E%D0%BB%D1%8F%202014%20%D0%B3.-,N%20743%20%22%D0%9E%D0%B1%20%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8%20%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BB%20%D0%B2%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%20%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8%20%D0%B2,%22%20(%D1%81%20%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F%D0%BC%D0%B8%20%D0%B8%20%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F%D0%BC%D0%B8)\">Russian government decree No. 743<\/a> of 31 July 2014.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIt explicitly states that an ORI \u2018ensures non-disclosure of any information about specific facts and the content of such interaction to third parties\u2019. The wording is vague, but Russian companies interpret it unambiguously\u2014if you are in the ORI register, publishing statistics on requests from security agencies is prohibited,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On 15 March, Pavel Durov was allowed to <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/telegrams-pavel-durov-permitted-to-leave-france-temporarily\">leave France temporarily<\/a>; the judicial control obligations in his regard have been suspended until 7 April. The businessman said the investigation into criminals\u2019 activity on the messenger continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several Russian activists reported that their cryptocurrency wallets in Telegram\u2019s integrated Wallet service were frozen, resulting in losses. The bot\u2019s team outlined the grounds for such restrictions. What happened? Daniil Chebykin, co-founder of the Omsk Civic Association, said that in early February Wallet froze his cryptocurrency soon after the activist was added to Rosfinmonitoring\u2019s list [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"","news_style_id":"","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1412,1150,27,723,1364,57],"class_list":["post-22176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-bans-and-restrictions","tag-news-plus","tag-russia","tag-telegram","tag-the-open-network","tag-wallets"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"180","promo_type":"","layout_type":"","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}