TON Surges 20% as Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Recovers Passport From French Authorities

The price of $TON has surged more than 20% over the last 24 hours to now trade above $3.45 and have a $8.14 billion market capitalization after French authorities returned Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s passport.

The move restores Durov’s ability to travel freely and marks the end of a situation that had drawn concerns from privacy and free speech advocates. Durov, who co-founded Telegram, a messaging platform with nearly a billion users, has long been an outspoken advocate for privacy and secure communication.

Read more: $TON Down 14% as Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Arrested in France

The $TON Foundation, which supports the Telegram Open Network ($TON), celebrated the moment on social media. “As part of the decentralized $TON community, we have stood in solidarity with Pavel, supporting his unwavering dedication to defending the right to free speech and privacy online.“

$TON has also benefited from new features introduced to the Wallet app on Telegram, which include multiple assets, a yield program, an updated user interface, and more.

Read more: Telegram's Pivot to $TON Payments for Ads Boosts Toncoin