$400 million in crypto was held by Telegram by the end of 2023 😮

Telegram’s Impressive Growth and Financial Challenges Revealed 🚀💰

Telegram’s financial statement for this year unveiled that the messaging platform held a staggering $400 million in digital assets by the end of 2023.

Telegram Premium Users Surge Past Five Million 📈

Despite facing significant financial challenges, Telegram witnessed a remarkable increase in premium users, soaring from four million at the end of last year to over five million by mid-2024.

Telegram’s revenue reached $342.5 million in this year.
However, the company experienced an operating loss of $108 million.

40% of Telegram’s Revenue Stemmed From Crypto 🪙

Telegram’s financial disclosures uncovered that a substantial 40% of its revenue was attributed to crypto-related activities, including the sale of digital collectibles and an integrated wallet feature.

The integrated wallet allowed users to store, send, receive, and trade cryptocurrencies directly within the app.
Revenue also received a boost from the sale of digital collectibles like usernames and virtual phone numbers.

Global Reach and India’s Leading Telegram Downloads 🌍📲

Despite financial setbacks, Telegram’s global outreach was evident in 2023, with India taking the lead in Telegram downloads, boasting 83.85 million users. The United States secured the third position with 29.92 million downloads.

Durov’s Arrest and Impact on TON Cryptocurrency 🚨💸

August brought a significant blow to Telegram as CEO Pavel Durov faced a series of serious charges, including terrorism, trafficking, and money laundering. His arrest led to fluctuations in TONcoin (TON), with the coin’s value plummeting from $6.70 to $5.30 within a week.

TON’s market capitalization also experienced a nearly 2% drop, ending at $13.42 billion.

Durov Released on Bail Amidst Allegations 🔓💸

Following his arrest, Durov was granted bail under strict conditions, including a hefty payment of 5 million euros, regular reporting to French police, and confinement within French territory.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that Durov is under investigation for several charges, including aiding illicit online transactions and money laundering.