France Throws a Wrench in Durov’s Plans—Telegram Founder Barred from Oslo Freedom Forum

Pavel Durov’s passport just got a virtual ’access denied’ stamp. A French court blocked the Telegram CEO from attending the Oslo Freedom Forum—no explanation, just bureaucratic muscle-flexing.

Free speech or political chess? The crypto maverick—who’s dodged regulators more times than Bitcoin’s bounced off $30k—now faces travel restrictions that’d make a DeFi protocol blush.

Meanwhile, traditional finance giants are probably popping champagne. Nothing makes legacy banks happier than seeing disruptive founders grounded—unless it’s charging $50 wire fees for the privilege.

Telegram Removes $35B Crime Networks

Telegram has taken down thousands of channels linked to Chinese-language cybercrime hubs Xinbi Guarantee and Huione Guarantee, following an investigation by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic.

These groups have been tied to over $35 billion in illicit USDT transactions, offering services ranging from money laundering and fake IDs to stolen data and cyber extortion.

Huione, allegedly linked to Cambodia’s ruling elite, has facilitated $27 billion in criminal activity, while Xinbi has processed $8.4 billion since 2022.

These marketplaces used Telegram’s encrypted infrastructure to operate openly, selling tools for fraud and laundering crypto from scams such as “pig butchering” and even hacks like the WazirX breach tied to North Korean actors.

The platforms have also been connected to human trafficking compounds in Southeast Asia, where victims are coerced into romance scams and financial fraud.

These compounds, disguised as job offers, exploit vulnerable individuals and force them into operating cybercrime schemes under duress.

Telegram’s role in enabling this ecosystem has come under scrutiny. While the app was designed for privacy, its structure has increasingly been Leveraged by organized crime.