In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov highlighted the importance of privacy and security in the crypto industry while expressing concerns about potential threats posed by surveillance hardware.

Despite the growing involvement of governments in privacy matters, Durov remains optimistic about the future, suggesting that technologies similar to those already developed in the crypto industry could help preserve privacy. He pointed to hardware crypto wallets as an example and speculated about the emergence of new secure communication devices tailored to safeguarding online privacy.

Durov expressed his optimism by stating, "I’m an optimist. I think some new secure hardware communication devices will be created in a similar way that now we have hardware wallets to store your cryptocurrency. Maybe we’ll have secure communication devices to send messages or do voice calls."

Touching on Telegram's other crypto-related ventures, Durov mentioned The Open Network, which encountered opposition from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2019.

Regarding Telegram's fundraising activities, Durov clarified that while the company had accepted outside investment through bond issuances and cryptocurrency projects, it had not relinquished ownership or voting control.

In October 2019, the SEC issued a restraining order against Telegram, preventing the launch of its planned token, Gram. The SEC alleged that Telegram's initial coin offering (ICO) violated securities laws by offering unregistered securities to investors.

Despite regulatory challenges, Telegram's blockchain venture persisted, with Toncoin, the project's native cryptocurrency, integrated into its ecosystem. However, Telegram's ties to the TON ecosystem deepened over time, with Toncoin becoming a payment method in its advertising revenue-sharing system for channel owners.

The interview covered various other topics, including Telegram's relocation to Dubai and an incident involving an attempted robbery following a meeting between Durov and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in San Francisco.