Telegram founder refutes market rumors: Funding independence is assured, bond risks are exaggerated

New_Ser_Ngmi · 2026-01-19T09:21:12+00:00

Telegram founder Pavel Durov refuted rumors about the company's reliance on Russian capital, emphasizing that the upcoming $1.7 billion bonds will have no Russian investors, the financing structure is independent, and bondholders have no right to interfere with operations. He pointed out that old debt has been mostly repaid, and the new bonds are designed to avoid risks. Market false rumors do not affect the company's financial stability.

New_Ser_Ngmi

2026-01-19 09:21:12

Abstract generation in progress

Recently, there has been more FUD circulating in the crypto community, claiming that Telegram relies on Russian capital and that bonds are about to default? Pavel Durov personally came out to debunk these rumors yesterday.

The founder explicitly stated on the official channel that the company’s financing structure is actually quite independent. The $1.7 billion bond issuance completed in 2024 involved no Russian investors at all. In other words, the risk of Western sanctions is simply nonexistent.

Regarding Shareholding and Voting Rights

It’s important to clarify a key point: bondholders and shareholders are two different things. These creditors have no decision-making power over the company’s operations; at most, they are just debt holders. Durov emphasized that he is the sole shareholder, and the final say on major company matters rests with him.

Old Debt Has Been Basically Repaid

The $500 million bond frozen due to sanctions was from the 2021 round and has now been mostly repaid. Although this portion of assets was frozen, it has little impact on the company’s overall financial situation. The new bonds have completely avoided this issue, so there’s no need to worry about repeating the same mistake.

Why Clarify Now

This proactive response is essentially to dispel some false rumors in the market. Similar FUD occasionally appears in the crypto space, often based on speculation. Telegram’s financing independence and financial stability are clear and do not rely on capital from any specific region.

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