• Toncoin price jumped over 18% after news broke that Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, has been given the green light to leave France.
• Excitement rippled through the Telegram and Toncoin communities, pushing the TON price up to $3.48.

Toncoin (TON) is experiencing a significant surge in price, all thanks to Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov. After facing judicial scrutiny in France, Durov has reportedly been granted permission to leave the country, sparking positive momentum for TON.

Currently, TON – the token powering The Open Network – is up by 18%, trading at $3.48. This impressive climb makes it one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies in the last 24 hours, with trading volumes skyrocketing by 216% to over $514 million.

This dramatic price movement seems to be largely fueled by the latest updates surrounding Durov’s legal situation.

Telegram founder Durov allowed to travel to Dubai

Pavel Durov, who was in Paris facing indictment for alleged complicity in criminal activities related to his encrypted messaging platform, departed from Le Bourget Airport near Paris this past Saturday. According to reports from a local news outlet, French authorities have returned Durov’s passport.

The TON Foundation further validated this development, announcing that Durov has been granted the freedom to leave the country as he wishes.

The TON Foundation shared their enthusiasm on X, stating:

“TON Foundation is delighted to learn that Pavel Durov’s passport has been returned to him by French authorities, granting him the freedom to leave the country at his discretion.”

According to these reports, the judge responsible for Durov’s case has agreed to adjust the terms of his judicial supervision. The court has authorized Durov to leave France for “several weeks.”

Durov’s journey to Dubai, where Telegram’s headquarters are located, comes after a period of strict judicial oversight which included a hefty 5-million-euro bail, mandatory check-ins with the police twice a week, and restrictions preventing him from leaving France. Durov has been in France since his arrest in August 2024.

The accusations against him relate to claims that Telegram has been exploited to aid organized crime. Durov has challenged these allegations and pledged to improve content moderation on the platform.

This positive surge for TON occurs in the wake of a broader market dip that saw Bitcoin (BTC) briefly fall below $80,000, although it’s currently trading above $84,000. Interestingly, Toncoin’s price is exhibiting volatility reminiscent of August 2024, when Durov was initially detained by French authorities.

Although Toncoin is still trading significantly below its all-time high of $8.20 from June 2024, this near 20% jump is certainly welcome news for those invested in the altcoin.

It’s important to note that Durov is expected to return to France after his permitted weeks away. This return could potentially introduce further volatility to the altcoin’s price. Therefore, traders should closely monitor the overall crypto market conditions.