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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov responds to accusations after indictment

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Durov has spoken out for the first time following his arrest last week, defending the platform’s moderation efforts and criticizing authorities for targeting him personally over users’ illegal activities.

Today, nearly a week after the CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was indicted in France, he released a statement addressing his recent legal troubles in the country. 

In a post on his official Telegram channel, Durov expressed surprise at his charges, emphasizing that the messaging app has an official EU representative handling law enforcement requests. He criticized the authorities for bypassing established communication channels and questioning him personally. 

He argued that pre-smartphone laws to charge a CEO with crimes committed by others on the platform he manages is “a misguided approach.”

Durov defended Telegram’s moderation practices, pointing out the platform’s daily efforts to remove harmful content and maintain hotlines with NGOs for urgent requests.

“We take down millions of harmful posts and channels every day. We publish daily transparency reports… we have direct hotlines with NGOs to process urgent moderation requests faster.”

Durov

Durov emphasized the challenges of balancing privacy and security while maintaining global consistency, particularly in countries with weaker rules of law. He highlighted Telegram’s willingness to leave markets where its principles are compromised, citing bans in Russia and Iran for refusing government demands. He added:

We are prepared to leave markets that aren’t compatible with our principles, because we are not doing this for money. We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated.

Durov’s arrest on Aug. 24 sparked a sharp decline in Toncoin (TON), the cryptocurrency linked to Telegram, which plunged 20% around the time of his arrest.

Durov’s charges

Last week, Durov was placed under judicial supervision after being indicted on charges related to inadequate content moderation on Telegram, including accusations of terrorism and drug trafficking. He was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris and now faces a court-mandated ban on leaving French territory and twice-weekly police check-ins.

Durov, a Franco-Russian billionaire, has faced legal challenges, with French authorities accusing him of complicity in various illegal activities. He faced 12 alleged charges.

Durov acknowledged that Telegram has a long way to go before being crime-free. Durov expressed that he is committed to improving Telegram’s content moderation efforts, acknowledging some growing pains due to the platform’s rapid user growth. 

Telegram’s abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. That’s why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. 

He also reaffirmed the company’s mission to protect user privacy while cooperating with regulators. However, he made it clear that Telegram is willing to exit markets where its values are compromised.

The crypto community was in an uproar over the arrest and strongly supported Durov. 



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Crypto influencer Kevin Mirshahi found dead in Canadian park

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The body of Kevin Mirshahi, a 25-year-old cryptocurrency influencer who had been missing since June, was found dead.

Mirshahi’s body was discovered in Montreal’s Île-de-la-Visitation Park, as confirmed by the Sûreté du Québec, according to the Montreal Gazette. 

A passerby came across his decomposing body, prompting an investigation that identified him through an autopsy.

The case, which marks Montreal’s 32nd homicide of 2024, has highlighted a concerning pattern of violence within the crypto community, raising questions about the safety of high-profile figures in the sector.

Timeline of Mirshahi’s disappearance and death

Mirshahi’s disappearance occurred on June 21. Early that morning, he and three others were allegedly abducted from a condo building in Old Montreal.

Montreal police were alerted after receiving a 911 call about a disturbance at a residence near de la Commune and St-Hubert Streets, according to The Gazette.

While the three other abductees were quickly located, Mirshahi remained missing, prompting police to escalate the investigation to the SQ.

During the initial investigation, police identified Joanie Lepage, a 32-year-old woman from Les Cèdres, Quebec, as a suspect, per The Gazette.

In August, she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and involvement in Mirshahi’s abduction. Authorities allege that Lepage played a role in concealing Mirshahi’s death, though investigations are ongoing to determine if other suspects may have been involved.

Mirshahi’s background in crypto 

Mirshahi was a prominent figure in Montreal’s cryptocurrency scene, primarily due to his management of a private investment firm called “Crypto Paradise Island,” per The Gazette.

His activities in the crypto space attracted public and regulatory scrutiny, particularly from Quebec’s investment authority, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

The AMF placed restrictions on Mirshahi in 2021, barring him and two associates from acting as investment advisers or conducting securities transactions. Two weeks after his disappearance, this ban was reinforced in July 2024, limiting his online activities and requiring him to cease promoting related content on social media.

This case isn’t the first crypto-related crime that happened in Canada this month. On Nov. 6, Toronto police investigated the kidnapping of WonderFi CEO Dean Skurka, who was abducted in downtown Toronto and released after a $1 million ransom was paid electronically.





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Tether helps Canadian police recover stolen crypto

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Tether recently assisted the Ontario Provincial Police in recovering $10,000 CAD worth of stolen cryptocurrency.

This recovery was achieved through Tether’s collaboration with the OPP’s Cyber Investigations Team, showcasing the company’s commitment to supporting law enforcement in combating cybercrime.

Tether responded to the OPP’s request by freezing the Tether (USDT) involved in the theft, which allowed the digital assets to be returned to their rightful owner.  

Detective Staff Sergeant Addison Hunter of the OPP acknowledged Tether’s voluntary cooperation as essential in recovering the stolen funds, according to Tether’s press release.

Tether has established itself as a partner to law enforcement in tackling cybercrime, claiming it has aided over 195 law enforcement agencies across 48 countries.

Tether also announced on November 8 that it had completed its first funding transaction in a Middle East crude oil investment, expanding the company’s ventures beyond just crypto.

Tether in the hot seat? 

Recently, on the United States legal front, Tether denied reports that the company was under investigation for anti-money-laundering and sanctions law violations. 

Manhattan prosecutors were reportedly investigating whether Tether’s cryptocurrency had been involved in illegal activities. The U.S. Treasury Department was also said to be considering sanctions on Tether, which could potentially limit American business dealings with the company.

Ceo Paolo Ardoino rejected these claims on X, asserting there was no indication of an investigation and calling the reports “old noise.”



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Nic Carter slams Minneapolis Fed President for saying crypto is ‘almost never’ used outside of criminal activity

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Venture Capitalist Nic Carter criticizes Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari for his remarks on how crypto is “almost never” used outside of illicit activity, even though the data tells a different story.

In an X post on Oct. 22, Nic Carter wrote “being this wrong should be illegal” in response to Neel Kashkari’s remarks about cryptocurrency being mostly used for illegal activities. He viewed Kashkari’s comments as unfortunate, as he is one of the top ten most important financial regulators on the planet.

Carter followed up his post by linking several data sources that disprove Kashkari’s assumption, including a report from blockchain data firm Chainalysis that found only 0.34% of all crypto transactions in 2023 had connections to illegal activity.

The report revealed that illicit transactions in crypto peaked in 2019 at just 1.29%.

At a Wisconsin Town Hall event hosted by the Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 21, Minneapolis Fed President, Neel Kashkari, claimed that “very few transactions were actually happening” in crypto.

“They’re not paying for goods and services using crypto. It almost never happens unless people are buying drugs or other illegal activities,” said Kashkari.

A recent study by Crypto ISAC revealed that cash remains the preferred criminal’s financial tool for criminal activities. Although cryptocurrencies have been linked to number of high-profile crimes, including exchange collapses and thefts, the actual portion is still significantly small.

Though it is difficult to track the exact amount of illicit activity in the traditional finance space, Crypto ISAC notes that the estimated amount of money laundered globally in one year is 2% to 5% of global GDP, which ranges between $800 billion to $2 trillion.

Out of that total number, only 0.34% of the transaction volume consists of cryptocurrencies. The U.S. Treasury also echoed these findings, stating that cash continues to be the primary preferred method for money laundering because of its anonymity, stability, and ubiquity.

Kashkari’s stance on cryptocurrency has remained the same in the past few years. In Feb. 2024, Kashkari said that Bitcoin(BTC) is a risky asset with no practical use in real economic scenarios, further questioning the cryptocurrency’s ability to be an effective hedge against inflation.

On Oct. 17, the Minneapolis Fed published a paper urging governments to either ban Bitcoin or enact a Bitcoin tax if they want to maintain their permanent primary deficits.



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