Justin Sun pledges $1 million to DAO supporting Pavel Durov

Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, has stepped up in support of Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, who is currently facing legal challenges with French authorities.

On Twitter, Sun proposed the creation of a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) called "FreePavel DAO" to rally support for Durov and aid in his release.

Sun has pledged $1 million of his own money to kickstart the DAO, but he emphasised that the initiative should only proceed if the community supports it and if it is organised in a decentralised manner.

Sun tagged prominent figures like Elon Musk and Mario Nawfal in his tweets, hoping to gain their involvement in the effort.

Telegram has finally addressed Durov’s situation publicly, issuing a statement on their News channel in support of their CEO and calling for a swift resolution.

Durov's status remains uncertain, with conflicting reports about whether he has been officially arrested or charged. He was detained on August 24 at an airport near Paris.

Initial reports suggested that Durov’s detention was related to how Telegram manages content moderation, but French authorities have not confirmed any specific charges.

The detention has already had a noticeable impact on the market, with the price of TON (CRYPTO:TON), a cryptocurrency associated with Telegram, dropping by more than 12%.

Despite the market turbulence, support for Durov within the crypto and Telegram communities is growing, with social media buzzing with #FreePavel messages, especially on X platform, and speculation about the French government’s motives.

In its official statement, Telegram reaffirmed its commitment to EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, and insisted that their moderation practices meet industry standards.

Telegram also defended Durov, stating that he has nothing to hide and frequently travels across Europe. The company called the notion that either Telegram or Durov could be responsible for any abuse of the platform "absurd."

At the time of reporting, Toncoin price was $5.74.