Telegram Earns $15.5M From BAYC Drop as Durov Faces Legal Heat in France

Sat Jun 21 2025
While French prosecutors pursue Telegram’s founder, the app’s Web3 arm made $15.5M from a sticker drop, showing TON’s real financial power.

⚖️ While Durov Faces Jail in Paris, Telegram Prints Millions with Stickers

French courts want blood. Telegram wants BAYC money. Guess who's winning?


In August 2024, Pavel Durov — the elusive founder of Telegram and high priest of online privacy — got detained in Paris. French prosecutors are gunning for him, accusing him of complicity in criminal activity conducted via Telegram.

If convicted? He could face up to 10 years in prison and eye-watering fines.

But here's the twist: Durov’s lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, says the case is shaky at best. His defense?

“Complicity doesn’t cover inaction.”

And there's more: French authorities reportedly ignored Telegram’s official law enforcement request system, which could violate the EU Digital Services Act. Oops.

Despite the noise, Telegram blocked 21 million shady accounts in 2024, including 28,000 in France. Yet Durov remains under judicial supervision, waiting for the legal circus to wrap.


💰 Meanwhile in Web3: Telegram Just Made 15.5M — From Stickers

While the courtroom drama unfolds, Telegram and TON quietly dropped a Web3 nuke.

The BAYC (Bored Ape Yacht Club) sticker pack launched inside Telegram — and it printed cash.

Here’s the math:

  • Each pack = 5,555 Stars (Telegram’s currency) ≈ 100
  • 310,000 users showed interest
  • Let’s say half actually bought it → 155,000 x 100 = 15.5 million
  • All processed via TON blockchain

Yes, that’s 15.5M from monkey emojis. Let that sink in.


📉 So Why Isn't TON Pumping?

You’d think this would moon the TON token. But nope — it’s chilling around 2.97, stuck in the 2.85–3.50 range.

Technicals say:

  • 200 EMA? Sitting at 3.09, acting as resistance
  • RSI? Flat at 46.70
  • Momentum? Meh.

Conclusion: the price is in wait-and-see mode. Not because Telegram’s slacking — just classic crypto vibes.


🧠 Did Yuga Labs Get a Cut?

Still unclear.

BAYC = Yuga Labs. And licensing a top-tier Web3 brand like this doesn’t come cheap. But Telegram’s tight-lipped. No public rev share info yet.

Even if Yuga got paid, TON’s payment rails handled the flow. The real flex? Telegram just became a Web3 commerce engine, one sticker pack at a time.


🚪 The Bigger Picture: Telegram = Web3 Gateway

This isn’t just about stickers. Telegram is quietly evolving into the Web3 superapp:

  • Built-in wallet ✅
  • 1B+ active users ✅
  • Mini apps & NFT drops ✅
  • Seamless UX for crypto noobs ✅

Whether it's BAYC today or DeFi tomorrow, Telegram is onboarding the next billion into Web3 — without them even realizing it.


🧬 TL;DR

⚖️ Durov might be facing 10 years in prison — but Telegram’s lawyers are tearing holes in the case 🧵 Telegram’s BAYC sticker drop just made 15.5M 📉 TON token price? Still chilling, but the fundamentals look spicy ❓ Did Yuga Labs get paid? No one knows 📲 Telegram is becoming the Web3 superapp — and nobody can stop it

One man’s on trial. His app just launched a revolution.

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