Telegram now tells US investors to leave its blockchain project and take 72% refund

Quick Take

  • Telegram is now telling US investors to leave its blockchain project TON by taking 72% refund amount 
  • The company said it has taken the decision based on discussions with “relevant authorities and our lawyers”

After delaying its blockchain project for one more year last week, Telegram is now telling U.S. investors to leave the project immediately by taking 72% refunds.

In a new letter to Telegram Open Network (TON) investors on Monday, the company said American investors can’t wait for another year and are not eligible for a 110% loan refund option in April 2021.

“Unfortunately, given your status as an investor from the United States and based on later discussions with the relevant authorities and our lawyers, we made the difficult decision not to use this option with you due to an uncertain regulatory attitude in the United States,” Telegram said in the letter, a copy of which is obtained by Russian news publication The Bell.

A source with knowledge of the matter independently confirmed to The Block that U.S. investors wouldn’t have the loan option.

Two choices 

Last week, Telegram offered two choices to all investors: either take a 72% refund immediately or wait until April 2021 and get 110% by converting original investments into loans. Telegram planned to cover debt via equity sale.

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It remains unclear how many non-American investors have agreed on the loan option.

Those who opted for this option also had a choice to receive gram tokens "or potentially another cryptocurrency on the same terms as those in their original purchase agreements.”

However, the crypto option is also now reportedly gone. "Unfortunately, based on more recent discussions with relevant authorities and our counsel, we have made the difficult decision not to pursue an option involving grams or another cryptocurrency due to its uncertain reception from the relevant regulators,” per a CoinDesk report

Delays 

Telegram was initially scheduled to launch its TON blockchain and gram tokens in October 2019, but it got delayed at the time to April 2020 since the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Telegram for conducting an “illegal” sale of the tokens and for allegedly violating securities laws. Telegram raised $1.7 billion in 2018 by pre-selling its gram tokens.

Last week, Telegram further delayed the launch of its blockchain project by one more year to April 2021, after a U.S. judge ruled that the company cannot go ahead with the project until its case with the SEC is resolved. 


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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Yogita Khatri is a senior reporter at The Block, covering all things crypto. As one of the earliest team members, Yogita has played a pivotal role in breaking numerous stories, exclusives and scoops. With nearly 3,000 articles under her belt, Yogita holds the records as The Block's most-published and most-read author of all time. Prior to joining The Block, Yogita worked at crypto publication CoinDesk and The Economic Times, where she wrote on personal finance. To contact her, email: [email protected]. For her latest work, follow her on X @Yogita_Khatri5.