2026-01-06 09:21:07

Telegram faces a financing dilemma. According to media reports, the company's approximately $500 million Russian bonds have been frozen due to Western sanctions, directly impacting its financing plans.

Interestingly, Telegram has been frequently issuing bonds over the past two years — just in May 2025, they issued $1.7 billion in new bonds. It seems that maintaining operations and developing the Web3 ecosystem puts significant pressure on their fundraising efforts. Even more painfully, they have already repurchased a large portion of the bonds maturing in 2026, but this $500 million Russian bond is now frozen, disrupting their financing rhythm.

For the Web3 ecosystem, this reflects a real issue: geopolitical risks directly threaten project financing stability. Even platforms as large as Telegram find it difficult to fully avoid the impact of sanctions on their fundraising.

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AmateurDAOWatcher

· 01-07 08:40

1.7 billion new bonds have been issued, but we still can't withstand geopolitical tensions. This is getting interesting. Sanctions, even Telegram can't avoid them. Web3 projects still want to remain independent? Frozen 500 million, just frozen. I think Telegram is really short on money. It seems that even the biggest platforms have to bow their heads and behave, after all, we are living in this era. With such great financing pressure, Telegram's Web3 ambitions will have to wait a bit. So, geopolitical risk is much more intense than market fluctuations. Freezing bonds is even more painful than a crash, isn't it?

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HalfBuddhaMoney

· 01-07 03:14

Once again, they are sanctioned. This time, even Telegram can't escape. Russian bonds are frozen, and 500 million is gone just like that... Is the financing pressure this high? Geopolitical risks are really unavoidable for anyone, even big companies get hit. It's hard to secure funding; everywhere it's a money problem. Telegram also has to grit its teeth and endure this, the Web3 era is just so damn frustrating. Didn't expect that size doesn't matter; in the face of sanctions, everyone is equal. That's why I never invest in Russian-related assets; the risk is too high. The financing rhythm has been disrupted, how will they fill the gaps later? It seems that even big platforms find it hard to make money; reality is just so harsh.

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AltcoinHunter

· 01-06 23:45

Now you know what real means, even the biggest platforms can't escape the blow of geopolitical issues. --- Telegram still relies on bonds to survive, indicating that the financing pressure on Web3 infrastructure isn't that easy. --- 500 million frozen, the financing rhythm is completely disrupted. If this causes a market dump, I wouldn't be surprised. --- Hey, this is why I've always said that risk management is the biggest profit logic. No matter how awesome the project team is, they have to look at geopolitical factors. --- Silicon Valley folks need to think about this. Centralized financing really lacks risk resistance. --- So everyone, true decentralization still requires finding your own solutions. Relying on traditional finance will eventually get you choked. --- Frozen 500 million, even a giant like Telegram can't handle it. What about small projects? The market is a bit fierce. --- The key is that only 5 months after issuing 1.7 billion in new bonds, they are now frozen again. This financing rhythm is really unsustainable. --- I just want to know if this will trigger a chain reaction to other projects. Who can still bear similar risks? --- Sanctions are the biggest force majeure. No matter how advanced the technology or how good the business model, it's all useless.

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PensionDestroyer

· 01-06 09:50

Sanctions are truly invincible, even Telegram gets caught in the crossfire It's another geopolitical stunt, the Web3 path is really tough Frozen 500 million, new debt of 1.7 billion... financing pressure is off the charts No matter how big the project, it can't escape the blow of sanctions, it's heartbreaking If Telegram is affected, how can our small projects survive Once sanctions hit, any financing plans are useless Geopolitical risks, no one can avoid them Just issuing bonds isn't enough, we also have to pray we don't get frozen With such a tight cash flow, operational pressure must be high Even giants are being targeted, this market is really a bit messed up

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MetaverseHomeless

· 01-06 09:49

Sanctions are ruthless to everyone --- Telegram also has to kneel, this is the reality --- Frozen 500 million, this pace has really been disrupted --- No matter how big the platform, geopolitical issues force them to admit defeat --- Raising 1.7 billion and having to buy back bonds, the pressure is huge --- Web3 projects need to learn from this lesson, don't be hit fatally by geopolitical risks --- Think about what freezing 500 million means... the financing ecosystem has to change --- Even Telegram, with its size, can't avoid it; it's even harder for us small projects --- Western sanctions are so extensive that they can freeze Russian bonds --- Frequent bond issuance already indicates financing pressure; now being locked up makes it even more uncertain

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SignatureDenied

· 01-06 09:44

500 million USD frozen, this is the cost of geopolitical politics No matter how powerful Telegram is, it can't escape sanctions With such high financing pressure, no wonder they are issuing bonds frequently Basically, it's just that there's not enough money to spend, brother Web3 projects now have to guard against political risks, it's too difficult Even big companies have to bow their heads and be cautious, which is outrageous Funding channels are blocked, Telegram is really in a bit of trouble this time One with 1.7 billion and another with 500 million frozen, this pace is indeed chaotic Geopolitical politics is the biggest black swan, all the money is wasted Once sanctions are imposed, all financing plans become empty talk

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PseudoIntellectual

· 01-06 09:39

Really, even a major platform like Telegram can't escape the poison hand of geopolitical politics, which is the most heartbreaking. $1.7 billion in new bonds were just issued, and suddenly $500 million is frozen? This financing rhythm is completely messed up. For Web3 to develop healthily, it must first learn how to dance with sanctions—there's no such thing as political immunity cards. To put it simply, no matter how big the platform, it can't change the rules of the international political game—that's the reality. With such immense financing pressure, should Telegram start thinking about how to decentralize? Bonds one after another, with such a high financing frequency, it's really hard to keep up. Sanctions are like a time bomb; no one knows when they'll be triggered. Telegram's stumble today, who will it be tomorrow? Freezing $500 million is indeed a deadly blow to the financing rhythm, but Telegram should be able to hold on. Current Web3 projects have learned a lesson: if they want to raise funds again, they need to figure out how to bypass these geopolitical pitfalls. Telegram's frequent bond issuance itself shows that operational costs are becoming unsustainable.

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CoffeeNFTs

· 01-06 09:22

Oh no, big companies can't escape the blow of geopolitical issues either. Freezing 500 million dollars, just freeze it. Sanctions are really unreasonable; even Telegram's scale can't withstand it. What are we small investors still hoping for? Funding pressure is enormous. They issue bonds while repurchasing shares, it feels like Telegram is playing a heartbeat game. Web3 funding stability? Don't make me laugh. This is the reality; no one can escape it. After freezing 500 million, they still have to keep spending money on development. How much more must the wallet be pumped... It's basically a gamble—betting on a change in policy direction, otherwise, how else to keep playing? No wonder they plan to issue 1.7 billion in bonds by 2025. They are truly forced. Now you know what global political risk means, even the biggest platform is just a display.

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