The global messaging app market is large and growing, having increased from 2.1 billion active users in 2016 to 3.3 billion as of January 2024. Its growth is being driven by a number of factors. The increase in smartphone penetration is a significant one; 90% of Americans owned a smartphone as of January 2024, up from just 35% in 2011. This growth has been mirrored internationally; in October 2023, it was reported that the majority of people around the world (54%), equating to 4.5 billion people, owned a smartphone. Another factor has been the growing availability of mobile internet in the 2010s, with significant milestones like the rollout of 5G in 2019 leading to an increase in connectivity around the world.

As messaging app usage became increasingly ubiquitous, user concern over data privacy and security grew as well. For example, a May 2023 survey found that 71% of American adults were growing more concerned about how data collected on them is being used by the government. In addition, 77% of Americans had “little or no trust in leaders of social media companies to publicly admit mistakes and take responsibility for data misuse.” This growing distrust has amplified the demand for secure messaging platforms that prioritize user privacy.

Telegram is a messaging app that focuses on “speed and security” and describes itself as “like SMS and email combined”. The product is a cloud-based messenger that allows users to share messages, photos, videos, and files, with conversations synced across all of a user's devices at the same time. Users can create groups of up to 200K people in size. Telegram also offers privacy features such as device-specific secret chats which are end-to-end encrypted, as well as end-to-end encryption for voice or video calls. Group or private chats not employing the “secret chat” feature are not end-to-end encrypted but instead protected by what Telegram describes as server-client encryption.

Pavel Durov (CEO) and his brother Nikolai Durov (Director of Engineering) founded Telegram in August 2013. Prior to Telegram, Pavel had already founded a successful social network; in 2006, Pavel created VKontakte (VK), a Russian social media platform similar to Facebook, after graduating from St. Petersburg State University. His success with VK earned him the nickname "the Russian Mark Zuckerberg," but it also made him a target of the Kremlin.

In December 2011, Pavel refused a request from the federal security service to shut down groups on VK that were organizing protests against parliamentary election results. Despite the growing tensions, Pavel and his brother Nikolai began working on a side project called Telegram in 2013, while Pavel was still serving as the CEO of VK. They developed Telegram as an encrypted messaging system to communicate without the Russian security services intercepting their messages, releasing it in August 2013 without a formal announcement.

The situation escalated in April 2014 following the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Pavel once again refused government orders to hand over the personal data of Ukrainian opposition leaders from their VK accounts. As a result, he was fired from his position as the CEO of VK that same month. Shortly after his dismissal, Pavel left Russia. In December 2014, under pressure, he sold his remaining 12% stake in VK to a business partner of Alisher Usmanov, a billionaire with close ties to Putin who held a controlling stake in Mail.ru. This sale resulted in Mail.ru owning 100% of VK.

After leaving Russia in 2014, Pavel and his team of 15 engineers focused on developing Telegram, working from various locations around the world. Pavel obtained citizenship in St. Kitts, a Caribbean island, which allowed him visa-free travel throughout Europe. Initially, Telegram was based out of a small office in Berlin, but the team later adopted a nomadic lifestyle, working all around the world. Pavel stated that this approach was intended to prevent the company from becoming entangled in the politics or economic challenges of any one nation.

Nikolai Durov was responsible for the creation of the MTProto protocol, the foundation upon which Telegram operates, while Pavel provided the financial backing and strategic direction. With a reported $300 million from the sale of his VK shares, Pavel was able to establish the necessary infrastructure for Telegram's operations and growth.

The company has maintained a small headcount despite its growth. In March 2024, it was reported that, with its large user base of 950 million people (as of August 2024), Telegram only employed about 50 employees total who were full-time. Of these, Pavel Durov stated in a June 2024 interview that the company maintained he remained the only product manager at the company and that there were about 30 engineers at the company, which he described as “the best of the best”.

In August 2024, Pavel Durov was arrested in France after landing at Le Bourget airport outside of Paris, where he was held for questioning pending charges. French authorities stated that his arrest was in connection to an investigation into illegal activities on Telegram, including alleged drug trafficking, child pornography, money laundering, and fraud. Although Durov was not implicated in these crimes, he may have been detained due to Europe’s Digital Service Act (DSA) which makes companies liable for content hosted on their platforms.

At the time of Durov’s arrest, Telegram made a statement via Twitter that Pavel Durov had “nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe”, that “Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act”, and that it was “absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.”

On August 23, 2024, Durov was released from French custody after the 96-hour period he could be held for questioning elapsed. However, he was formally indicted by French prosecutors on charges of complicity "in the distribution of child sex abuse images, aiding organized crime and refusing lawful orders to give information to law enforcement."

After being questioned by a judge, Durov posted a €5 million ($5.6 million) bail prior to his release and has been prohibited from leaving France, where he has to check in with authorities twice a week. However, it may be a long time until he is brought to trial, if any occurs, due to the nature of the French judiciary, which conducts an investigation before bringing a case to trial and is "notoriously slow to process cases" as a result.

Telegram offers a suite of products designed to support comprehensive digital communication. Its platform includes (1) cloud-based instant messaging, (2) TON, a layer-1 blockchain protocol that supports in-app cryptocurrency transactions and a native crypto wallet as well as web3 app integration, (3) channels with ad-revenue sharing, (4) interactive bots, (5) a mini-app platform for web-based applications, (6) Telegram Passport for secure identity verification, (7) Telegram Business for automating customer interactions, and (8) Telegram Stars as an in-app currency for transactions

Instant Messaging

Source: Telegram

Telegram's core offering is its cloud-based instant messaging service, available across both mobile and desktop devices. Users can send messages, stickers, photos, videos, and files of any type, create groups with up to 200K members, or create Telegram channels to broadcast to an audience of unlimited size.

Telegram also offers secret chats, which use end-to-end encryption, intended to ensure complete privacy. Secret chats self-destruct after a specified time. When a secret chat is created, encryption keys are exchanged between devices using the Diffie-Hellman key exchange, with a visual representation of the key generated for verification to ensure the chat's security against unauthorized access.

Conversely, regular cloud chats and groups use client-server/server-client encryption, preventing ISPs and third parties from accessing the data, although Telegram servers can. Additionally, Telegram is designed to be lightweight. It requires minimal storage space, taking up less than 100 MB, with media generated by user chats stored in the cloud.

In order to make it easier for individuals and businesses to join a group of chats and channels, Telegram also supports shareable chat folders with up to 200 chats, that can be customized by users and shared with contacts or followers via a link. According to Telegram, this feature is intended to provide “a seamless onboarding process for companies, enables journalists and experts to rapidly share lists of curated news sources and communities, and more”

Stories

Source: Telegram

In addition to its instant messaging platform for individual and group chats, Telegram also offers social media features such as its Telegram story offering, which launched in August 2023 and allows users to share pictures and videos with their Telegram contacts, similar to Snapchat stories.

Telegram Stories allows for dual camera mode, in order to allow users “to capture a moment from every angle using both the front and rear cameras of your device simultaneously”, a format pioneered by BeReal. It also provides different expiration options (stories can be set to last for six, 12, 24, or 48 hours) and privacy options to control which contacts can see stories and how long, in keeping with Telegram’s privacy-focused value proposition.

The Open Network (TON)

Source: TON

The Open Network (TON) is a decentralized platform comprising the TON Blockchain, TON DNS, TON Storage, and TON Sites. Initially developed by Telegram in 2018, TON aimed to be its blockchain with its own cryptocurrency (Gram), raising $1.7 billion before halting due to SEC charges in 2020, in which it was ordered to return $1.2 billion to investors and pay an $18.5 million settlement to the SEC and halt its development. It was then released as an open-source project, which was developed by independent developers.

In 2023, the TON Foundation, a non-profit, was established in Switzerland to support TON. In September 2023, Telegram endorsed TON as its official Web3 infrastructure. TON's native token, Toncoin, powers various Telegram features, such as the purchase of unique usernames on the Fragment marketplace and incentives for developers creating mini-apps and bots.

TON's integration with Telegram includes TON Space, a self-custodial crypto wallet with over 6 million monthly users, and the ability to send Tether tokens within the app. While the wallet was developed by The Open Platform, not Telegram itself, it allows Telegram users to securely store, send, and receive cryptocurrency tokens. Although it is excluded from use in certain regions like the US due to regulatory issues, TON Space is intended to position Telegram as a gateway to the crypto ecosystem.

Channels

Source: Telegram

Telegram Channels are a tool for broadcasting public messages to large audiences, where only administrators can post and subscribers can view content. Channels are popular among content creators, bloggers, and businesses for sharing text, images, videos, and other media.

In March 2024, Telegram introduced an ad-revenue sharing model for public broadcast channels with over 1K subscribers, allowing them to generate 50% of the revenue from ads in their feeds. This move significantly impacted Telegram's monetization strategy and value proposition for content creators. Prior to this, only 10% of the over 1 trillion channel views on Telegram were monetized.

This model also expands Telegram's advertising inventory, making it accessible to marketers in nearly 100 countries. For creators, the revenue split offers a new way to monetize content directly within Telegram, potentially reaching wider audiences and building sustainable income streams. Telegram channels and groups also have a quiz-style polls feature and a Quiz Bot that helps users create and share multi-question quizzes with exam-style prompts.

Bots

Source: Telegram

Telegram's bot platform empowers developers to build automated programs that can communicate with users seamlessly through the chat interface. These bots function as virtual chat partners, offering a wide array of services and features. They can independently perform tasks based on predefined instructions without requiring user intervention. Bots can send a variety of content, such as text, images, videos, and files, either in response to user requests or automatically.

One of the most distinctive features of Telegram Bots is their command-based interaction. Users can trigger specific actions or request information by sending predefined commands within the chat. For instance, sending the "/help" command usually prompts the bot to display a list of available commands, making it easy for users to navigate and utilize the bot's functionalities.

The potential applications of Telegram Bots are numerous, from answering simple queries to facilitating complex transactions. Common uses include content delivery (news, weather, entertainment), utility functions (language translation, file conversion, reminders), and e-commerce. Merchants can create bots to showcase product catalogs, process orders, and handle customer support, transforming Telegram into a marketplace, especially in regions with less developed e-commerce infrastructure. Payment bots securely handle transactions, integrating with popular payment gateways and cryptocurrencies.

Mini-App Platform

Source: TON

Telegram's Mini App platform is a tool that allows developers to create interactive experiences accessible within the chat interface. Developing Mini Apps on Telegram provides access to the platform's large monthly active user base. These apps offer various features, such as streamlined authorization, integrated payments through providers like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and cryptocurrencies, customized push notifications, and sharing mechanics that utilize Telegram's user base.

Telegram collaborates with The Open Network (TON) blockchain, which offers developers a decentralized infrastructure for building and scaling their apps. TON's performance capabilities and Tencent Cloud's support for TON validators aim to ensure that Mini Apps can handle high compute intensity and network bandwidth requirements. Additionally, the TONstarter platform offers grants to help TON-based projects with incubation, fundraising, and marketing efforts.

Telegram Passport

Source: Telegram

Telegram Passport is a unified authorization system for securely storing and sharing personal identification information. Users can upload identity documents (such as passports, driver's licenses, or utility bills) within Telegram, which are end-to-end encrypted and accessible only with user consent. When verifying identity with services like financial institutions or e-commerce platforms, users can share required documents directly from Telegram Passport. This reduces the need to repeatedly upload sensitive information, enhancing security and convenience. This feature can be used by businesses to streamline compliance with KYC and AML regulations.

Telegram Business

Source: Telegram

Launched in March 2024, Telegram Business offers tools for commercial users to establish a professional presence, automate customer interactions, and streamline operations. Business accounts provide verified profiles, customizable start pages, location displays, and links to important chats. Businesses can also automate customer interactions using chatbots, handle inquiries, process orders, and offer personalized recommendations. It also features internal communication tools, such as group chats, channels, screen sharing, and voice/video calls, in order to support remote and distributed work models.

Telegram Stars

Source: Telegram

In June 2024, Telegram introduced Stars, an in-app currency for transactions within its ecosystem. Users purchase Stars with fiat currency to spend on premium content, app features, or game items. Developers and creators can monetize their work by accepting Stars, which can be exchanged for digital tokens via Toncoin.

This is intended to create a way to reward innovation and create a flywheel, as developers reinvest Stars in promotion. By using earned Stars to promote their apps within the Telegram ecosystem, developers can significantly decrease the effective commission they pay, in some cases to almost nothing, which could make releasing apps on Telegram financially attractive, along with the chance to leverage a large and expanding user base.

Customer

Telegram's user base consists of a wide range of individuals and organizations attracted to the platform's unique features and privacy-focused approach. This includes cryptocurrency enthusiasts, privacy-conscious individuals, businesses, communities, activists, and protesters worldwide. Telegram’s largest user populations by country, as of 2023, were India (104 million users), Russia (34.4 million), Indonesia (27.2 million), the United States (26.9 million), and Brazil (21.9 million).

The platform's end-to-end encryption for secret chats and voice calls, along with the ability to support large group chats with thousands of members, have made it a popular choice for those seeking secure communication and efficient coordination. Its ability to host group chats with up to 2K members has proven particularly useful for organizing events, managing remote teams, and fostering online communities.

However, these same features have also attracted more malicious actors, such as terrorist groups, sex traffickers, and child abusers. Telegram has taken steps to counter this misuse by removing such actors or restricting access to their channels, but this segment of Telegram’s user base was ostensibly responsible for Pavel Durov’s arrest in France in August 2024; EU’s DSA regulation may make Telegram as a whole, and Durov personally, legally liable for illegal activities facilitated by the Telegram platform.

Another surprising segment of Telegram’s user base is the Russian military. Telegram was reported to have been “widely used by the Russian military for battlefield communications”, which led some commentators to speculate that Pavel Durov’s arrest in France could have an impact on Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, with one Russian military blogger stating that the arrest was akin to arresting “the head of communication for the Russian Army.”

Market Size

The global instant messaging app market was valued at $24.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $58.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period. Within the broader instant messaging market, there is a growing demand for privacy-focused messaging apps.

Meanwhile, the global messaging security market, which includes apps with features like end-to-end encryption, is estimated by one source to be worth $9.1 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $25.1 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 22.5% during the forecast period. End-to-end encryption, a crucial feature for protecting user data and privacy, was reported in July 2024 to be used by over 80% of secure messaging apps.

WhatsApp (Meta)

WhatsApp, a cross-platform instant messaging service, was established in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum and acquired by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014 for $19 billion. According to a former head of product marketing for WhatsApp Business at Meta, Telegram was one of WhatsApp's main competitors as of February 2024, with Telegram gaining traction due to its large group features. In comparison to Telegram's 950 million monthly active users as of August 2024, WhatsApp had almost 3 billion users as of June 2024.

WhatsApp's massive user base, along with its integration with other Meta properties like Instagram and Facebook, creates a strong network effect, making it difficult for users to switch to other platforms like Telegram. As one former WhatsApp executive noted, "I moved to Telegram for some days, but no one else was there. So, what will I do there?" This highlights the challenge of breaking WhatsApp's monopoly in certain markets where the user base has not yet reached critical mass, whereas WhatsApp is ubiquitous in almost every major market outside of China.

In January 2021, WhatsApp announced an update to its privacy policy that led to widespread confusion and concern among users. Although the update was intended to enable new business messaging features and provide greater transparency, many users believed it would allow WhatsApp to read their messages and share the information with its parent company, Meta. As a result, millions of users migrated to alternative messaging apps like Signal and Telegram. Within January, Signal gained 7.5 million users globally, while Telegram added 25 million.

Signal

Signal is another major competitor to Telegram in the secure messaging space, with 30 million users as of February 2024 (excluding desktop app use). Signal began in 2010 when cryptographer Moxie Marlinspike and roboticist Stuart Anderson founded Whisper Systems and created the private messaging services TextSecure and RedPhone. In 2013, Marlinspike launched Open Whisper Systems, which introduced Signal as a voice-only app in 2014 before adding text messaging capabilities in 2015. Signal's development accelerated in 2018 when WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton invested $50 million to establish the Signal Foundation with Marlinspike. As a non-profit, Signal generates no revenue and relies on donations from users and benefactors.

While both Signal and Telegram prioritize user privacy, they differ in their approach to security and the features they offer. Signal provides end-to-end encryption for all messages by default, ensuring that only the intended recipients can read the content of the messages. Telegram specifically offers end-to-end encryption for its "Secret Chats" feature, while regular chats are encrypted between the user's device and Telegram's servers. Additionally, Signal focuses on communication between users and their contacts, whereas Telegram offers the ability to join and search for groups that align with shared interests.

In May 2024, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov asserted that Signal is insecure and connected to US intelligence agencies, raising concerns about its end-to-end encryption and the transparency of its software. However, many cryptography experts view Signal's encryption as the gold standard, with Telegram's security being less robust in comparison. Signal's CEO accused Telegram of cooperating with governments despite claiming to prioritize privacy, calling Durov's claims "dangerous disinformation."

Like Telegram, Signal has a crypto payments solution called MobileCoin. However, Telegram's COO believes the two platforms attract different users, as Telegram fosters a community and social interaction around crypto while Signal does not.

Regional Competitors

In Asia, Telegram faces strong competition from local messaging apps that dominate their respective markets. In Japan, as of March 2024, Line has a domestic monthly active user base of over 96 million people —78.1% of the country’s total population. Line is also used in Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia. In South Korea, KakaoTalk dominates 97% of the market, with over 47.7 million domestic users as of Q1 2023.

In China, WeChat dominates the market with 1.2 billion monthly active users as of 2024, with the average user spending 82 minutes per day on the platform. The app hosts 38 billion messages daily and over 95% of brands have a WeChat store in a mini-program. Due to the blocking of Western tech companies like Meta and Google, WeChat is China’s primary platform for communication.

Telegram is also blocked by the “Great Firewall”, but Chinese users can access it via VPN. Pavel Durov has stated, regarding Chinese users, that “access to Telegram requires a VPN in China, but Chinese people are smart - they like Telegram and find a way to use it”, after Apple pulled down WhatsApp, Threads, and Signal from the Chinese App store at the behest of the Chinese government in April 2024.

For most of its history, Telegram did not rely on advertising as a primary source of revenue. Instead, founder Pavel Durov kept the company afloat using his personal savings from selling VK, his previous social media venture. Durov believed this approach would provide users with a more enjoyable, ad-free messaging experience and align with Telegram's ethos of not selling user data to advertisers.

However, in 2022, Telegram decided to introduce ads and premium subscription services in order to generate revenue. Despite this shift, Durov emphasized that basic private messaging features would remain free and ad-free. Telegram's revenue streams can be broken down into five main categories:

1. In-app purchases: Users can buy stickers, themes, extra cloud storage, and other customization options. This freemium model was Telegram's original approach to monetization.

2. Premium paid subscriptions: In June 2022, Telegram launched a paid subscription tier with additional features such as faster download speeds, the ability to send larger files (up to 4GB), premium stickers, and access to more channels. The monthly subscription costs around $5 in the US and UK, and $2.20 in emerging markets like India. Within six months of its launch, Telegram Premium amassed over 1 million subscribers.

3. Sponsored messages: Telegram introduced a system for creating and distributing sponsored messages on public channels with 1K+ subscribers. This allows advertisers to promote their content on specific channels and bots without the ads appearing in chat lists, private chats, or groups.

4. Telegram Ads Network: In early 2024, Telegram launched an ad platform that enables channel owners to earn money by displaying ads, with the company paying out rewards using Toncoin on the TON blockchain. Channel owners receive 50% of all revenue generated from ads in their channels.

5. Sale of usernames: As of November 2022, Telegram has sold over $50 million in usernames via Fragment, a blockchain-based platform that secures name ownership on The Open Network (TON) blockchain.

These diversified revenue streams have helped Telegram approach profitability. In March 2024, Telegram's founder stated that the company was nearing profitability, with the goal of becoming profitable in 2025, if not sooner. Telegram's yearly expenses stood at less than 70 cents per monthly user, while the platform was generating "hundreds of millions of dollars" in revenue.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda

Looking ahead, Telegram is considering an IPO once it reaches profitability as a means to democratize access to the company's value and maintain its independence. Durov has expressed interest in potentially selling part of Telegram's stock to loyal users, similar to Reddit's approach.

As of March 2024, Telegram was one of the 10 most downloaded apps worldwide. As of August 2024, Telegram’s website stated that the platform had over 950 million active users, and had become one of the top five most downloaded apps globally. The company’s user base has been growing at a rate of more than 40% each year since its launch in 2013. In the first nine months of 2023, Telegram downloads in the App Store and Google Play Store reached about 310 million. By the end of 2023, the app hit around 1 billion total downloads, making it the seventh most downloaded non-gaming app on Google Play, based on worldwide downloads. According to founder Pavel Durov, Telegram attracts 2.5 million new user signups every day.

Telegram's engagement metrics also show significant traction. As of June 2024, the company said that over 400 million users, representing more than 44% of its total user base, interacted with bots and mini-apps on the platform every month for various purposes, such as buying products, accessing services, and playing games. Broadcast channels on Telegram generated 1 trillion views every month as of February 2024. The average Telegram user spent nearly four hours on the app each month as of July 2024, indicating high engagement and retention. After 11 years of operating without profitability, Telegram was expected to become profitable in 2025, a significant milestone for the company.

Telegram has also benefited from competitors facing backlash from changes in privacy policies. As previously mentioned, in January 2021, when WhatsApp updated its privacy policy, many users moved to Telegram. During this period, Telegram briefly became the second most downloaded app in the US; Durov announced that the app saw 25 million new users within 72 hours. The surge in popularity of Telegram and other privacy-focused messaging apps was part of a larger trend. In the first half of 2020, apps offering features like end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages had, on average, 30% more active users than their competitors.

Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Telegram experienced a significant increase in users and activity, becoming a crucial platform for communication and information sharing. Both the Ukrainian and Russian governments have relied heavily on Telegram to disseminate information and rally support, with Ukrainian President Zelensky's channel growing from 65K followers in February 2022 prior to the invasion to over 1.5 million within just three weeks.

Ukrainian cities and officials have also established Telegram channels to share critical information, while civilians can report troop movements through Telegram bots. On the Russian side, the invasion and media crackdown have driven millions of users to Telegram, with Russian-language news channels seeing a 48% or 8 million subscriber increase since February 2024. As of 2023, the year after the invasion, Russians comprised Telegram’s second-largest user base.

However, Telegram has also been used by the Russian military itself, with geopolitical analysts like Peter Zeihan claiming on the day of Pavel Durov’s arrest in August 2024 that “the Russian military uses Telegram nearly exclusively because it is more secure than formal government encryption.” It has also been reported as “the primary vehicle for pro-war military bloggers and media.”

In March 2024, Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, stated that global investors had offered to invest in the company at a valuation of more than $30 billion. As of March 2024, Telegram has raised a total of $3.2 billion in funding across five rounds. The company raised $330 million through debt financing in March 2024. The bonds issued in this round had a yield of 7.7% and a maturity date of either 2026 or when Telegram goes public, whichever comes first. The bonds were priced at $91, up from $78 in the previous issue.

Telegram has disclosed some of its investors, which include Mubadala, Manta Ray Ventures, ARK FUND, Dalma Capital, Oyster Ventures, and Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, in addition to CEO Pavel Durov himself. However, the majority of the investors were sourced privately and remain undisclosed.

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Integration

Telegram's potential in crypto integration remains significant despite SEC setbacks in 2020. By positioning itself as a facilitator of mainstream crypto adoption, given the size of its user base, Telegram could become a major player in digital payments, especially in countries with unstable currencies or limited banking access. Telegram’s crypto wallet, allowing developers to create crypto-compatible mini apps, exemplifies Telegram's embrace of decentralized payments, which could end up attracting millions of new users from unbanked populations in developing countries.

As the TON economy grows within Telegram through various games, bots, and stablecoins, the platform could onboard millions to cryptocurrency. If crypto adoption continues to grow, Telegram could utilize its distribution advantage to launch new crypto features such as its own crypto exchange, potentially opening new lines of business.

AI-Powered Content Moderation

One of Telegram's greatest challenges has been balancing its commitment to free speech and individual privacy with the need for effective content moderation at scale. The platform has faced criticism for being used by terrorist organizations and other bad actors to spread extremist content and misinformation. To address this issue, Telegram is exploring the implementation of advanced AI moderation tools to improve harmful content detection and removal while maintaining user privacy. This approach could lead to more nuanced content policies, enhancing Telegram's reputation for safety and attracting users and enterprises prioritizing platform security.

Evolving into a Super App

Source: TON Society

Telegram has been steadily adding features to evolve into a WeChat-like super app, offering a wide range of services beyond messaging. The platform already supports a growing list of third-party mini apps, such as TON Space, which run inside Telegram and enable users to access various features and services without leaving the app. By expanding its mini-app ecosystem and integrating services such as e-commerce, ride-hailing, and food delivery, Telegram could increase user engagement and retention while opening new revenue streams.

Content Moderation

Telegram has faced criticism for its lightly moderated platform, which has been used by extremist organizations, criminal groups, and terrorist organizations. These bad actors can exploit Telegram to disseminate news within the cybercriminal community, highlight vulnerabilities in organizations' cyber defenses, buy and sell leaked corporate data, conduct auctions for high-value information, and distribute malware using Telegram bots, effectively turning the platform into a haven for bad actors across the internet.

The company's approach to content moderation and platform governance has been scrutinized, with Telegram lacking a clear definition of illegal content versus alternative opinions. On its FAQ page, Telegram explains that because all Telegram chats are private amongst participants, the company can't process any illegal content requests related to them.

Critics argue that Telegram's reliance on technology, such as encryption or AI in the future, is insufficient for governing user behavior and that the platform's decision-making process appears ad hoc and inconsistent. Telegram has also been accused of being slow to respond to verification requests or restricting channels without removing the content of the channels itself. A November 2023 WIRED investigation, for example, revealed that Hamas content was still active in unrestricted channels, and being kept on the back end.

User reviews highlight concerns about Telegram's lack of policies to block inappropriate content, such as channels and chats that encourage violence against women, as well as the need for better tools to prevent malicious bots from spamming users. Some users have expressed frustration with the platform's user experience and support, suggesting that Telegram does not prioritize its users' needs.

Significantly, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest and subsequent indictment in France in August 2024 was related to the alleged failure of Telegram to moderate content on its platform, potentially running afoul of EU regulation which makes companies liable for illegal activities that are not moderated. Although Telegram denied that it was in breach of such regulation on the day of the arrest, the French investigation is ongoing and its result is yet to be determined.

As Telegram continues to grow, the company will need to address these content moderation and governance challenges to maintain user trust and avoid further regulatory backlash, which now includes the imprisonment of its CEO. Failure to do so could hinder the platform's expansion and damage its reputation, while also subjecting the company to further legal action or even criminal prosecution that may severely impact its ability to do business.

Geopolitical Factors

Telegram's global presence and encryption features have led to bans or restrictions in several countries, including China currently and previously Iran and Iraq. This highlights the challenges of operating a global messaging platform in diverse regulatory environments.

The platform's use for organizing protests and disseminating information in various countries has made it a target for government scrutiny. As Telegram deepens its involvement with cryptocurrency through the integration of the TON blockchain, it may face increased attention from financial regulators worldwide, particularly given the varying cryptocurrency regulations across countries.

In addition, Telegram’s heavy use by the Russian military for secure comms puts it at the center of a geopolitical maelstrom that could introduce numerous risks and challenges based on the evolving geopolitical landscape in Europe and internationally.

The arrest of Pavel Durov itself has already had geopolitical consequences. The United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based, suspended a deal with France to purchase 80 warplanes after the UAE government submitted a formal request to France to provide Durov access to consular services in the aftermath of his arrest. Durov holds citizenship in the UAE, France, and Russia.

These factors involve Telegram in the politics within and between large and powerful nation-states, posing a uniquely potent risk not only to its business but to the safety and freedom of its employees. It must carefully navigate that risk and seek to reduce its exposure to geopolitical volatility, which has seen major escalations in the early 2020s and is approaching new heights in the post-Cold War period.

Rising and Existing Competitors

Despite Telegram's growing user base, major tech companies like Meta (WhatsApp) and Apple (iMessage) continue to dominate the messaging space in many markets. The strong network effect in this market makes it challenging for users to switch platforms, even if they prefer Telegram's features.

These competitors have significant resources to invest in new features and marketing, potentially outpacing Telegram's growth. Additionally, despite CEO Pavel Durov's accusations against Signal, its default end-to-end encryption and other features may position it as a more secure option than Telegram.

As Telegram expands its features and ventures into new areas like cryptocurrency integration and mini-apps, it may face increased competition from established players in those markets. To remain competitive, Telegram will need to continue innovating and differentiating itself through its unique blend of privacy, security, and functionality.

Telegram has established itself as a significant player in the global messaging market, amassing over 950 million monthly active users and achieving an estimated valuation of $30 billion. This growth is fueled by its blend of privacy features, group chat capabilities, and a feature-rich platform. Nearing profitability in 2024, Telegram introduced monetization features like premium subscriptions and advertising in 2022, while maintaining its core free messaging service. An IPO is under consideration to ensure independence and democratize access to Telegram's value.

Key opportunities for Telegram include evolving into a "super app" through cryptocurrency integration and mini-app development, alongside implementing AI-powered content moderation to address safety concerns. However, the platform faces significant challenges in content moderation and governance. Balancing user privacy, the hallmark of the platform, with safety regulatory requirements in various countries where it operates remains a core challenge. This creates a dynamic where Telegram must continually evolve its policies and technologies to maintain its appeal while addressing growing concerns about platform misuse.