What is Telegram and the TON token?

July 15, 2019

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Telegram is a cloud-based encrypted messaging app. That means that all your communication is also encrypted and third parties can’t monitor it. The app also provides end-to-end encryption for voice calls and secret chats between two users. In March 2018, Telegram published on its website that it reached 200 million monthly active users in that month.

Users can download the app for different platforms such as:

Android
Windows
Windows Phone
iPhone and iPad
Linux
The web version
Chrome app
macOS

In 2013 the brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, who are also the founders of the Russian social network VK launched Telegram. Between 2014 and at the beginning of 2015, the company’s headquarters are in Berlin.

However, according to Durov, in Germany, they didn’t manage to get residence permits for the whole team, and they decided to move from country to country.

ICO for the Telegram Open Network project (TON)

In the beginning of 2018, rumors started to circulate about Telegram launching an ICO. According to the TechCrunch, the ICO was conducted in order to fund a new blockchain platform, called the “Telegram Open Network” (TON). Two pre-ICO rounds were conducted, reportedly raising $1.7 billion. However, the company canceled the public ICO.

Recently, news started to spread that Telegram is close to launching another ICO. This time, the company will be targeting retail investors and funds will go to financing the “Telegram Open Network”.

Telegram ban in certain countries

Several countries are blocking Telegram for their users. The reasons for that are different. For example, in April 2017, Iran blocked the app’s voice calls because the company refused to give the user’s data to the government.

Similarly, In July 2015, the Chinese government blocked access to the app, accusing Chinese human rights lawyers that they used Telegram for criticizing the Communist Party of China.

Also, in April 2018, a Moscow court banned Telegram in Russia, because it refused to give access to encryption keys to the Federal Security Service (FSB). This resulted in blocking over 19 million IP addresses associated with the app.

Conclusion

Telegram continues to add new features to the app, which improves the user’s privacy and security. Despite critics and censorship in some countries, it is becoming more and more popular among not only crypto/blockchain enthusiasts but among regular users.

And what do you think about Telegram? Are you using it? Tell us in the comments!