Decrease in Total Value Locked on TON's Main Decentralized Exchanges after Durov's Arrest
In the world of Decentralised Finance (DeFi), Telegram Open Network (TON) is currently experiencing a downturn, making it the worst performer among the top 100 blockchains in the DeFi sector. However, there is no evidence that the recent arrest of Pavel Durov, the co-founder and CEO of Telegram, has had a measurable impact on the Total Value Locked (TVL) or usage of DeDust and STON.fi, two decentralised applications on TON.
As of now, DeDust holds $111 million worth of crypto in its deposits, a decrease of 68% over the last month and over 70% from its recent peak. Similarly, STON.fi's TVL has dropped to $139 million, a decrease of over 60% since its peak on July 31. The two largest decentralised exchanges (DEXs) on the TON chain have seen their TVL decrease by over 60% since the end of July.
The decline in TON's DeFi ecosystem's TVL is attributed to a broader bearish sentiment in the crypto market. The aggregate TVL of all DeFi projects dropped from over $100 billion in mid-July to less than $78 billion at the beginning of August. The decline in Toncoin's price, TON's native cryptocurrency, has also affected the DEXs' TVL.
Pavel Durov was arrested in France on August 24 due to allegations related to illegal content on Telegram. Despite this instability, TON blockchain has demonstrated resilience and continued operations effectively. TON is integrated closely with Telegram, aiming to become a mainstream blockchain via seamless user engagement rather than speculative incentives.
It's worth noting that no publicly available reports mention DeDust or STON.fi TVL fluctuations linked to Durov's arrest. The available data covers details about his arrest, legal charges in France, and some broad notes on TON's development and Telegram integration, but nothing specifically connecting the arrest to TVL changes in these TON-native DeFi projects.
Some indirect ecosystem effects are noted, such as increased moderation on Telegram following the arrest leading to bans of illicit content channels, but this is unrelated to DeFi TVL impacts on TON.
In summary, as of August 2025, there is no evidence that Pavel Durov's legal issues have measurably impacted the TVL or usage of DeDust or STON.fi on TON. The TON blockchain continues to grow with increasing user adoption partly fueled by Telegram integration despite external controversies surrounding its founder.
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