Durov: India Telegram Ban Hit 150M Users But Spared Exam Leakers

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said India's weeklong block on the messaging app punished more than 150 million ordinary users while failing to stop the exam leaks behind it.

Key Points:

India Blocks Telegram Over NEET Exam Leaks

India ordered internet providers to cut access to Telegram on June 16, with the block set to run through June 22. The government acted under Section 69A of the IT Act, citing a request from the National Testing Agency.

Officials tied the move to organized attempts to defraud candidates sitting a national medical entrance exam, after channel-level takedowns failed to curb the activity.

The agency had cancelled the original May exam after a paper leak compromised roughly 140 questions and voided results for about 2.27 million students. A second directive told Telegram to disable message editing for Indian users until June 30.

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Why The Ban Threatens Toncoin's Ecosystem

For India's crypto users, Telegram is more than a chat app, it is core infrastructure. The platform hosts Toncoin (TON) wallets, trading bots, and the peer-to-peer desks that move real retail volume. India leads the world in grassroots crypto adoption, which magnifies any disruption there.

Durov argued the order hit ordinary users rather than the insiders who leaked exam materials. The block, he said, had "not stopped anything," echoing his stance during past restrictions in Russia and Iran.

The timing sharpens the blow.

Telegram took direct control of the TON network only weeks ago, cutting fees and becoming its largest validator. That step bound app and chain closer together, just as the token began a rebrand to Gram set to wrap around the same day the ban lifts.

Toncoin Price Holds Near Recent Lows

Toncoin showed no clean reaction to the ban, trading near $1.70 and down on the week. The token sits far below its 2024 peak above $8, and some outlets reported an intraday dip of 5% or more before the move faded, leaving the token ranked outside the top 15 by market value.

The rebrand has yet to spark a lasting rally, leaving the token range-bound as it heads into a tense final stretch of June.

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