μ-Note: Durov on the Wrong Side of the Kremlin
Just a quick documenting item. I spotted this Reuters' news story: "Kremlin Says the Telegram Messaging App Has Violated the Law Many Times." Click here for the source document
For those who don't follow the interesting story of the GOAT (the greatest of all time Russian innovators), here's some context.
- Durov awaits trial in France on a basket of serious criminal charges
- Russia has its own messenger app called MAX. Russians use Telegram Messenger. Although deep packet inspection is possible, that's a hassle; therefore, Russia is amping up the pressure to "encourage" Telegram Messenger users to embrace the Kremlin-approved MAX service
- Loss of Russian and Commonwealth users adds to the problems Durov faces in 2026; for example, Telegram reported a loss of more than $200 million for FY 2025 and the "value" of the TONcoin is down creating headaches for some Telegram-aligned initiatives like AlphaTON Capital and TON Strategy Company
Other challenges swirl around the Telegram operation; for example, developers and partners who believed in the GOAT are waiting for some positive news about Telegram's growth. Losing Russian users and trying to attract new users will tax the ingenuity of the TON Foundation and the "core" engineers.
However, some entities in Russia believe that the Telegram crypto technology has considerable utility. Will the Kremlin use its influence to curb this group of Telegram supporters' enthusiasm. This Telegram situation is not a sitcom.
Stephen E Arnold, February 24, 2026