Pavel Durov, the founder of instant messaging app Telegram, predicts that the increase in government surveillance will compel people to create secure communication devices inspired by encrypted cryptocurrency hardware wallets.
During an interview with renowned American journalist Tucker Carlson, Durov reflected on past experiences and expressed how government entities continue to suppress private messaging communication. He stated:
“However, Durov believes that the escalating surveillance will force people to innovate around hardware devices dedicated to secure communication, ‘just like we have hardware wallets to store your cryptocurrency.'”
Durov claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had attempted to convince individuals associated with Telegram to install backdoors for monitoring purposes. He believes that the United Arab Emirates is an ideal place for entrepreneurs committed to privacy protection and anti-surveillance due to its geopolitical neutrality. Durov stated:
“Holding hundreds of millions of dollars in fiat currency and Bitcoin…”
Regarding ownership of the company, Durov said he avoids accepting venture capital to prevent external influences on Telegram’s operations. He revealed that he holds “hundreds of millions of dollars” in fiat currency and Bitcoin, giving him 100% ownership to guide his projects and company.
Durov has indeed raised funds for several projects in the past, including one involving cryptocurrency.
During the interview, Durov also mentioned that besides money or Bitcoin, he does not possess major assets such as real estate, jets, or yachts because he values freedom.
Source:
Cointelegraph, Reuters
Related reports: “Telegram Nears Profitability, Founder Considering IPO, TON Token Surges Over 20%” and “Telegram Ads to Be Paid in TON, How Will This Affect TON?”
