“What happened to Pavel Durov and what’s happening with Telegram and TON is proof that decentralization is working quite well. Despite the fact that Pavel was arrested, everything was still working,” Siu told TechCrunch. “I would say it’s a net positive and, to me, shows the resilience and strength of decentralization and the benefits of running something on the blockchain. So I’m long-term bullish on TON and Telegram.”

Animoca Brands is an investor in TON, the blockchain that is deeply integrated into the messaging app.