Support for Pavel Durov from the TON Community

The X account representing The Open Network (TON) blockchain, also known for its token TON (+7.42%), has issued a statement regarding the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France.

“Following the recent news related to Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov, we want to assure everyone that the TON community remains strong and fully operational. As a community committed to freedom of speech and decentralization, we stand firmly by Pavel during this challenging time,” reads part of the statement from the TON blockchain’s X account. (An earlier version stated, “…we stand firmly behind Pavel during this challenging time,” emphasis added.)

Durov was reportedly arrested at Paris’s Le Bourget airport after arriving from Azerbaijan. Allegations against him may include various offenses tied to the operations of the Telegram app, including terrorism, drug-related crimes, complicity, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods, and issues with moderating content, as highlighted by French news outlet TF1.

The statement from TON’s X account was likely a measure to alleviate market concerns, as Durov’s arrest caused TON’s native token, Toncoin, to drop nearly 20%, though it saw a slight recovery afterward. “We encourage everyone to stay calm, united, and to keep building as we navigate this situation together,” the statement continued. The token was down 12% in the last 24 hours at the time of publishing.

Support for Durov has also emerged from various figures within and outside the crypto community, including American journalist Tucker Carlson and X platform owner Elon Musk.

Venture capital fund Pantera Capital’s general partner Franklin Bi shared a simple message: “#FreePavel.” Pantera has made significant investments in the TON token this year, reportedly the largest in the firm’s history since its founding in 2003, including raising further capital for ecosystem investment.

This is a developing story.