"The Founder of TON: The Ups and Downs of Pavel Durov's Life"

1. Pavel Durov's Tech Empire

• The Rise of VKontakte: Russia's Facebook

VKontakte, the Russian version of Facebook, is a social networking platform founded by Pavel Durov in 2006. In an environment with almost no internet regulation, VK rapidly grew in Russia and other former Soviet countries, quickly amassing over 100 million users. Pavel Durov is a mysterious and controversial figure, and his management style and public actions often attract attention, such as the incident in May 2012 when he threw cash out of the VK office window.

In early 2012, when large-scale anti-Putin protests erupted in Russia, Pavel Durov refused to shut down groups on VK used to organize the protests, a decision that made him a hero in the eyes of the liberal opposition. However, as VK's influence grew, the Kremlin began to intensify its attention and control over the internet. In 2013, Pavel Durov was wanted by the police due to a traffic incident, although the charges were later downgraded, this was widely regarded as a political attack.

In the same year, Kremlin-friendly oligarch Alisher Usmanov began acquiring shares of VK. Despite Pavel Durov's strong initial opposition, he sold his shares by January 2014. In April 2014, Pavel Durov ultimately announced his departure from VK, stating in a post on his personal VK page that since the ownership structure had changed, his freedom in managing the company had significantly decreased, making it increasingly difficult to uphold the principles of the social network.

Despite losing its founder, VK has maintained its dominant position in the Russian social media market. However, over time, some Russian urban elites have begun to shift from VK to Facebook, even though VK still holds a larger market share.

• The Birth of Telegram: A Globalized Crypto Communication App

Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, the founders of VKontakte. Their goal was to create a messaging application that emphasizes speed, security, and privacy. The core philosophy of Telegram stems from the political pressure and government surveillance the Durov brothers encountered while operating VK, which prompted them to create a platform free from government interference.

Telegram features end-to-end encryption and decentralized infrastructure, ensuring the security of user data. The app debuted on iOS in August 2013, followed by the release of the Android version. Telegram quickly gained popularity among users, with its open-source nature and unique features such as self-destructing messages, large file transfers, and a bot platform attracting a large user base.

As Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp raised privacy concerns, the number of users on Telegram surged. By February 2014, the number of monthly active users had reached 100 million. The app continually innovated, introducing features such as supergroups, channels, and voice calls, further expanding its influence.

However, Telegram's privacy policy has also sparked controversy. In 2018, the Russian government attempted to ban Telegram but was unable to completely stop its usage. The platform has also faced criticism for being utilized by some criminal organizations, although the company maintains its stance on protecting user privacy.

Despite facing challenges, Telegram continues to grow rapidly. In January 2021, after WhatsApp modified its privacy policy, Telegram gained 25 million new users in a short period, bringing its total user base to over 500 million. As of 2023, the monthly active users have surpassed 700 million, making it one of the most popular apps globally, especially in regions that prioritize privacy and face censorship.

The success of Telegram is largely attributed to Pavel Durov's vision and Nikolai Durov's technical expertise. Pavel is known for his strong defense of user privacy, while Nikolai developed the MTProto protocol that underpins Telegram's secure messaging.

2. The Turning Point of the TON Project

• Founder Arrested Durov's Counterattack

Durov's arrest incident (August 25, 2023)

Pavel Durov was arrested by French police at Le Bourget Airport in northern Paris. He is accused of failing to effectively manage the Telegram platform, which has allowed illegal activities such as terrorism, money laundering, and drug trafficking to proliferate. As a French citizen born in Russia, Durov has been granted bail but is required to remain in France and report regularly to the police.

The Russian government's response (August 25-29)

The Russian government has expressed concern about this matter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Durov holds Russian citizenship and expressed a willingness to provide necessary assistance. The Russian side also warned France not to politicize this case, or it may be seen as "political persecution."

Initial reactions from the cryptocurrency community (starting from August 29)

The TON Society initiated a petition calling on the French authorities to release Durov, quickly garnering over 2 million signatures. This demonstrates the broad support of the crypto community for Durov.

Support from VC: Industry confidence in TON

• Positive response from investors

Subsequently, some well-known investors began to publicly support the TON project:

•PG co-founder Shan purchased 38,282 TON at an average price of $5.22, with a total value of approximately $200,000.

Famous investor Zhu Su announced the purchase of TON at a price of $5.8 and expressed optimism about the related project.

• DWF Labs partner Andrei Grachev purchased approximately $500,000 worth of TON tokens, committing not to sell them before Durov's release.

Support from industry leaders

• Yat Siu, co-founder of Animoca Brands, publicly expressed support for the TON community, emphasizing the importance of decentralized technology in resisting censorship and maintaining freedom.

Symbolic actions of the TON project

• The TON project changed its logo on CoinGecko and social media to "Resistance Dog", symbolically expressing support for Durov.

This series of events reflects the cryptocurrency community's high level of attention and strong reaction to the Durov case. From diplomatic warnings at the government level to grassroots petition campaigns and actual actions by investors, the support has gradually intensified. This not only demonstrates support for Durov as an individual but also reflects the crypto community's commitment to decentralized ideals and freedom of speech. The TON project gained unexpected exposure and support during this process, and its token price also saw a slight increase, indicating a positive market reaction to this event.

• TON ecosystem future development inference test

On the day Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested, the market value of the TON project did experience a drop of about 20%, reflecting the market's initial panic reaction to this sudden event. However, as the situation develops and the cryptocurrency community responds actively, the TON project is likely to experience a rebound.

In the short term, we may see the following situations:

1. Sympathy buying: Due to community support for Durov, there may be a wave of "sympathy" buying, driving the price of TON tokens to rise rapidly in the short term.

2. Increased Exposure: This event has brought significant attention to the TON project, which may attract more investors and developers to join the ecosystem.

3. Strengthening community cohesion: In the face of external pressures, the TON community may become more united, which is beneficial for the long-term development of the project.

However, in the long run, the development of the TON project will mainly depend on the following factors:

Legal Risk Management: Project parties need to effectively address potential legal challenges and ensure the compliance of the project.

2. Ecosystem Expansion: Attract more developers and applications into the TON ecosystem to enhance the network's usability and value.

3. Risk Diversification: Do not overly rely on the Telegram platform, develop independent application scenarios and use cases.

Overall, while TON may benefit from this event in the short term and experience a wave of growth, its long-term development will still depend on the project team's risk resistance capabilities, technological innovation, and ecosystem building. If TON can effectively manage the current crisis and turn it into a driving force for project development, then this event may become a turning point for TON towards wider adoption. However, if the project team cannot properly handle potential legal and regulatory challenges, or fail to maintain the pace of technological innovation, then the current positive effects may gradually diminish, and the project will face greater uncertainty.