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Prominent voices from the cryptocurrency space reacted to the arrest of the popular messaging app Telegram‘s CEO and founder Pavel Durov in France.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has expressed concern over the future of software and communication freedom in Europe, following recent developments involving Telegram.

What Happened: Ethereum ETH/USD co-founder Vitalik Buterin expressed concern over the future of software and communication freedom in Europe via an X post on Sunday.

Buterin said that he had been critical of Telegram’s encryption previously. Still, the charges brought by the authorities for being “unmoderated” and refusing to hand over user data made the issue appear “very bad.”

I've criticized Telegram before for not being serious with encryption.

But (given the info available so far: the charge seems to be just being "unmoderated" and not giving up people's data), this looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and comms freedom in Europe. — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) August 25, 2024

Another well-known blockchain entrepreneur, Justin Sun, also weighed in. The Tron TRX/USD founder proposed a decentralized funding initiative to help Durov in his legal struggles. Sun pledged to donate $1 million to the cause if it garnered sufficient community support.

We should show the cryptocurrency industry's unity by organizing a #FreePavel DAO to help Telegram founder Pavel Durov legally gain freedom. I'll donate $1 million if it's created in a decentralized way with enough community support. @elonmusk @MarioNawfal — H.E. Justin Sun 孙宇晨(hiring) (@justinsuntron) August 25, 2024

Some users called out Sun’s proposal as a gimmick, saying that money was not the problem for Durov, whose net worth is estimated to be more than $15 billion.

See Also: Powell’s Rate Cut Signal Sparks Crypto Optimism: Experts Eye Potential Bitcoin Rally

Why It Matters: These responses came after Durov’s arrest shocked many in the corporate world and those advocating for free speech.

Durov, a Russian-French billionaire, was apprehended on Saturday evening while traveling on his private jet. The arrest is linked to an ongoing police investigation in France, which is reportedly focused on the lack of moderators on Telegram, allowing criminal activity to persist on the platform

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also runs social platform X, described the developments as “super messed up.”

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photos courtesy: Shutterstock and Flickr

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