Author: dfmines

Telegram founder and free speech advocate Pavel Durov was born on Oct. 10, 1984, in St. Petersburg, Russia, and demonstrated an early knack for computer science, culminating in the entrepreneur establishing several successful online social media platforms.While studying at Saint Petersburg State University, Durov became inspired by the success of the Facebook social media site and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg — eventually starting the social media platform VKontakte (VK) in 2006.VK is a platform similar to Facebook but geared toward Russian speakers, and it is one of the largest social media platforms in the world.A picture of Pavel Durov as a teenager. Source: CointelegraphThe meteoric growth of the platform eventually attracted the attention of state regulators, who pressured the company to censor the platform and comply with government requests to provide user information.Durov refused to comply with these requests out of a principled stance on freedom of speech, online expression, and user privacy, which caused the tech founder to be ousted from the company he started in 2014.However, the tech founder was already hard at work on his next venture before departing VK, a messaging platform that has become a household name in crypto — Telegram.Related: TON Society celebrates Pavel Durov leaving France as free speech winPavel and his brother Nikolai Durov launch TelegramThe Durov brothers launched Telegram in 2013. Since then, the platform has garnered over 950 million users worldwide due to its privacy-enhancing technology, which encrypts messages end to end.Telegram also has robust features that include decentralized web surfing, a torrent of mini-apps and games.The platform also has a symbiotic relationship with The Open Network (TON) — a separate blockchain network that has become a staple for users of the messaging application.The Telegram founder discussing messaging applications at TechCrunch’s Disrupt conference. Source: TechCrunchAccording to Forbes, the Telegram founder has a net worth of $17.1 billion as of March 16, 2025 — mainly through his ownership of Telegram.In March 2024, the entrepreneur announced that Telegram was nearing profitability and was considering an initial public offering to become a publicly traded company.Pavel Durov is known for advocating individual freedoms, which is reflected in Telegram’s approach. In a January 2025 post, Durov wrote:”I am proud that Telegram has supported freedom of speech long before it became politically safe to do so. Our values don’t depend on US electoral cycles.”The Telegram founder’s libertarian ethos, commitment to free speech, and privacy eventually put the entrepreneur in the crosshairs of the French government.Pavel Durov arrested in France amid cries of politically-motivated censorshipPavel Durov was arrested in France on Aug. 24, 2024, due to a lack of content moderation on Telegram, and subsequently charged by French prosecutors with complicity with illegal activities and refusal to communicate with authorities.Durov speaks with independent news host Tucker Carlson about free speech and privacy shortly before his arrest in August 2024. Source: Tucker CarlsonShortly after his arrest, the Telegram founder posted bail and was released from custody on the condition that he remain in France during the legal proceedings.The arrest drew strong reactions from the crypto community and free speech advocates worldwide, who criticized the French government for its actions, expressing concerns about potential pressure on Pavel Durov to modify Telegram’s policies or provide access to its encryption keys.French President Emmanuel Macron was accused of orchestrating a politically motivated arrest, a claim the French leader denied, which only prompted more backlash from the crypto community.On March 15, Pavel Durov reportedly left France and headed to Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, after receiving permission from French law enforcement officials to leave the country.However, it is unclear how long Durov will remain in Dubai as the global fight for freedom of speech, privacy, and autonomy continues.Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh in

XRP has struggled to gain momentum, with its price caught in a downtrend since the beginning of March. Although XRP has managed to push up in the past five days after reaching a low of $1.93 on March 11, it has yet to fully recoup its losses in the first week of the month.  Related Reading: 200 Million XRP On The Move—Is Ripple Preparing For A Big Play? The altcoin’s long-term prospects are still on bullish speculation, but its short-term price action has frustrated traders looking for signs of a breakout. Amid this stagnation, crypto analyst Egrag Crypto has outlined specific price levels that could determine whether XRP finally reverses its course. Analyst Identifies $2.65 As Key Level Before XRP Can Challenge $3.00 Egrag Crypto, a long-time bullish advocate for XRP, recently took to social media platform X to outline key price levels that could determine the cryptocurrency’s next significant move. He identified $2.65 as the first critical threshold the coin must reclaim to sustain meaningful bullish momentum. However, the analyst expressed concern over XRP’s repeated tests of lower boundaries, which is in reference to the recent bottom at $1.93. According to the analyst, the frequent retests of this support level are a double-edged sword. While multiple touches on resistance can eventually trigger a breakout, repeated tests of support weaken its integrity, increasing the likelihood of a breakdown. He likened this pattern to knocking on a door that would eventually open or break. He highlighted six instances of XRP retesting this zone since December 2024 on a 12-hour candlestick chart, warning that prolonged weakness could pave the way for further downside. For the crypto to escape this cycle and shift into bullish territory, Egrag emphasized the importance of a strong close above $3.00, not just a brief move past it. This level has served as the upper resistance trendline for the past two weeks and has been a barrier to any sustained uptrend. Failure to break and hold above $3.00 could cause continued correction in the short term and keep XRP trapped in its current range. However, the analyst believes XRP’s chances of reaching $3.00, considering the current price action, are slim without securing a close above $2.65. Image From X: EGRAG CRYPTO   What’s Next For XRP After $3? March has been particularly bearish for XRP, with sellers maintaining control as it failed to reclaim lost ground. However, if XRP bulls manage to close above $3 before the end of the month, it will open up the door for the resumption of a price rally. With this in mind, Egrag set an initial target of $4.80, placing XRP at new all-time highs. Related Reading: XRP $15 Breakout? Not A Far-Fetched Idea—Analysis Interestingly, this target is modest compared to the analyst’s more ambitious long-term projections. Egrag has previously predicted that XRP could surge to $110 in the long term. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.37 and is still 26.5% away from reaching $3. Featured image from Crypto Logos, chart from TradingView

Key Takeaways: Kentucky Senate passes Bill to protect Bitcoin self-custody and mining rights. The bill prohibits local governments from establishing discriminatory zoning to inhibit Bitcoin mining. The bill is now awaiting the Governor’s signature to become law. Kentucky Senate Passes Historic Bill, An Opportunity for a Bitcoin Renaissance On March 13th, the State Senate unanimously…
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This past week, Mark Carney officially stepped into his role as Canada’s 24th prime minister during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, officiated by Governor General Mary Simon. At the time, a Polymarket bet revealed Carney had initially jumped ahead of Pierre Poilievre, head of the Conservative Party of Canada. Though Poilievre has since […]

New crypto presale Meme Index ($MEMEX), has already raised an impressive $4 million in its presale, reflecting strong investor confidence.  With just 15 days until its launch, early adopters are scrambling to secure their holdings before $MEMEX debuts on major DEXs and CEXs in early April. Designed to function as an index for the meme…
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