Russia Opens Criminal Probe into Telegram Founder Pavel Durov for Alleged Aiding of Terrorism
Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, accusing him under Article 205.1(1.1) of the Russian Criminal Code of “aiding terrorism.” The probe, driven by the FSB and Roskomnadzor, alleges Telegram failed to remove large volumes of channels, chats and bots that spread extremist, fraudulent or criminal content and that the platform was used to organise or facilitate illegal activity. Moscow has applied progressive restrictions on Telegram since mid‑2025 and implemented throttling measures in February 2026 amid rising fraud and noncompliance with regulatory orders. The investigation follows a history of clashes between Telegram and Russian authorities (blocked in 2018, unblocked in 2020) and arrives amid broader international pressure on encrypted messaging services. Pavel Durov says Telegram seeks to balance privacy with security; he has previously accused the campaign of favouring a state‑backed messenger. For crypto traders, the development matters because Telegram hosts major crypto communities and features tied to token ecosystems (notably TON and Telegram‑linked services such as TON Pay). Possible outcomes — including fines, stricter controls, throttling, an official “extremist” designation or partial/service blocking in Russia — could disrupt access, reduce community engagement, complicate token distribution and merchant payments, and raise counterparty and on‑chain liquidity risks for projects that rely on Telegram for coordination, marketing or payments. Traders should monitor: (1) official Russian rulings or an extremist listing; (2) any service blocks, payment restrictions or criminalisation of Telegram Premium/ads in Russia; (3) volatility in TON or tokens heavily promoted on Telegram; and (4) secondary effects on liquidity and community activity. Keywords: Pavel Durov, Telegram, Russia, criminal investigation, FSB, Roskomnadzor, throttling, privacy, TON.
Bearish
The investigation increases regulatory risk for Telegram‑linked crypto projects, notably TON. Short term, the announcement can trigger volatility and sell pressure for tokens associated with Telegram ecosystems as traders price in possible service restrictions, payment disruptions, or a formal extremist designation that could criminalise payments and advertising. Reduced accessibility in Russia would lower user engagement and marketing reach, hurting token distribution and on‑chain activity. In the medium to long term, persistent legal pressure or punitive rulings (blocks, payment bans, criminalisation) would likely depress adoption and liquidity for projects that depend on Telegram for community, onboarding and payments, keeping downward pressure on token prices. Offsetting factors — such as Telegram retaining global access, migration of communities to other platforms, or regulatory relief — could limit lasting damage, but risk remains elevated. Overall impact on TON and closely tied tokens is negative, hence categorised as bearish.