Following this, the French publication Le Parisien reported that Pavel Durov had travelled to Dubai after several months of legal restrictions.
Durov's problems with the law began back in August 2024. French authorities accused Durov of Telegram's failure to stop illegal activity on the platform.
The Durov case has sparked a global debate about digital privacy and free speech , with critics calling the charges an attempt to control secure messaging apps.
Telegram Tightens Moderation Policy
French authorities claim that Telegram failed to take sufficient measures to prevent fraud and illegal transactions. If convicted, Durov could face up to 10 years in prison.
After his arrest, Durov was released after posting a multi-million dollar bail , but was forced to remain in France and participate in legal proceedings .
In light of this situation, Telegram has revised its moderation policy. The updated FAQ section now includes stricter rules for combating illegal content. Previously, the company stated that all chats were private and did not interfere with their content. Now users are encouraged to report violations via the "Report" button.
Despite the situation, TON Foundation said it will continue to support digital freedom.
"We are committed to these principles. Blockchain is a technology of freedom, a powerful tool for protecting individual rights. We are proud to create an ecosystem where people can communicate safely and without restrictions," TON Foundation said.
Market Reaction and Toncoin Prospects
The news of Durov's departure has sparked a positive reaction among the TON community. Today, the price of Toncoin has risen to $3.58 , up nearly 15% . However, the token is still trading 10% lower than it was a month ago.
The decline in interest in Telegram mini-apps and TON- based projects continues to put pressure on the price.
While the current growth points to a return of investor confidence, Toncoin’s long-term prospects remain unclear.
Junai Dar, founder of investment firm Bitward Invest, noted that activity on the TON network has reached record lows, with some market participants already calling it “dead.”
"TON's return? Could this be a reset point? Now that Durov is back in business, will TON regain its position in Web3?" Dar wondered.
He suggested that Durov's active involvement could be a turning point for Toncoin . The network has seen explosive growth in the past year, thanks to the popularity of Telegram mini-apps like Hamster Kombat , which have significantly increased user engagement.
World Liberty Financial invests $4 million in Avalanche and Mantle
On March 16, analyst firm Lookonchain reported, that WLFI acquired 103,911 AVAX for $2 million USDT, paying an average of $19.25 per token. Another $2 million USDT was used to buy 2.45 million MNT at around $0.81 per token.
After this purchase, WLFI's total crypto investments exceeded $340 million spread across 11 assets. The company's portfolio already includes ETH, WBTC, TRX, LINK, AAVE, ENA, MOVE, ONDO, and SEI. These have now been joined by AVAX and MNT.
An analyst at EmberCN noted that a number of assets in the WLFI portfolio have reciprocal investment ties to the project. According to him, some projects "support" WLFI by interacting with its ecosystem and then WLFI buys their tokens.
Despite aggressive expansion, WLFI remains in loss for now. According to Lookonchain, the company's unrealized loss is estimated at $118 million, with Ethereum accounting for $88 million of that amount.
Rumors of a deal with Binance
The purchases followed recent reports from major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journaland Bloomberg, that WLFI was in talks with Binanceabout a possible investment in the exchange.
But WLFI denied having any formal agreements with Binance. The company called the publications politically motivatedand said they misrepresented the goals of the project. According to WLFI, such materials are aimed at discrediting the entire crypto industry.
In addition, WLFI recently completed tokensale, which raised about $590 million. This funding round was one of the largest in the DeFi sector in recent times.
"To be clear: World Liberty Financial is a DeFi project with a critical mission to create and democratize a new financial system for the benefit of millions of people. It's simple. We are proud to collaborate with leading protocols and organizations advancing the blockchain industry," reported WLFI.
The token will be used to manage the World Liberty Financial Protocol. Its owners will be able to make suggestions and participate in voting, influencing the development of the project. This approach will provide decentralized management where decisions are made by the community.
