The "Resist Dog" movement drives a surge in Ton ecosystem meme coin REDO, with multiple institutions showing support for TON
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The "Resist Dog" movement drives a surge in Ton ecosystem meme coin REDO, with multiple institutions showing support for TON
Durov's hand-drawn "Resistance Dog" goes viral again, MEME coin REDO surges over 250%.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsText: Nancy, PANews
After Telegram and TON founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France, the TON ecosystem suffered a setback. In response, an official protest campaign named "Resistance Dog" was launched, receiving widespread support and driving up the market value of the associated meme coin REDO. Although Durov still faces significant legal uncertainties, the spirit of resistance symbolized by REDO is resonating strongly within the community.
Durov's Hand-Drawn "Resistance Dog" Goes Viral Again, Meme Coin REDO Surges Over 250%
Following Durov’s arrest and investigation in France, the official TON Twitter account updated its profile picture and social media logos to feature the “Resistance Dog,” calling on users to change their avatars to this image as part of a global digital protest movement—Digital Resistance and Free Durov.
The campaign quickly gained traction across sectors. TON Foundation Chairman Steve Yun changed his Twitter avatar to the Resistance Dog logo; some Binance webpages updated their TON logo; Elon Musk posted a video with the #FreePavel hashtag in renewed support of Durov, among other endorsements.
The Resistance Dog is a hoodie-wearing canine, embodying Durov’s libertarian ideals and having appeared multiple times before. As early as 2011, when Russian security agencies demanded that Durov shut down protest-related pages on VK—the social network he founded—Durov responded by sharing a photo of a small dog wearing a hoodie sticking out its tongue, as an act of defiance. This moment became a catalyst for Durov’s creation of Telegram to defend personal freedom and privacy.
Reportedly drawn and named by Durov himself in 2018, the Resistance Dog symbolizes the fight for personal privacy, information security, and freedom through digital resistance. It serves as Telegram’s unofficial mascot, advocating for user privacy and free speech.
The meme coin REDO, launched in January this year, has surged again amid the recent attention from Durov’s arrest. According to Dex Screener data, REDO’s market cap briefly exceeded $95.7 million, with 24-hour trading volume reaching $17 million. Since August 25, REDO has risen nearly 254.5%. However, compared to its all-time high since launch in January, REDO’s current price remains over 46.8% lower.
Market Cap and TVL Plunge Sharply; Multiple Entities Disclose TON Purchases in Show of Support
French authorities are expected to issue a statement today (August 26) regarding Durov’s arrest. French media reports suggest Durov may face charges related to Telegram’s operations and alleged lack of content moderation. Following the arrest, the Russian embassy contacted French officials, requesting a meeting with Durov and clarification about his detention. Some Russian officials have labeled the arrest as an indirect hostile act against Russia.
In response, Telegram stated via its official X account that it complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, and that its moderation practices meet industry standards and are continuously improving. The platform emphasized that Durov has nothing to hide and frequently travels in Europe. Claims that “a platform or its owner should be held responsible for misuse on the platform” are absurd, Telegram said, noting that nearly one billion users worldwide rely on it for communication and critical information. The team expressed hope for a swift resolution.
However, as the fallout from Durov’s arrest continues, the TON ecosystem has taken a hit. CoinGecko data shows that since August 25, TON’s circulating market cap has dropped by as much as $3.77 billion, briefly falling out of the top ten cryptocurrencies by market cap. At the time of writing, TON’s price had recovered approximately 9.2% from its lows. Meanwhile, DeFiLlama data indicates that TON’s total value locked (TVL) plunged over 37% in a single day to $320 million but has since rebounded to $390 million.
In response, several crypto leaders made large purchases to show support. Andrei Grachev, partner at DWF Labs, announced on X that while there’s not much he can do, he decided to contribute by purchasing approximately $500,000 worth of TON tokens on the open market, which will remain on-chain until Pavel Durov is released. He clarified this is not financial advice, but rather an act of support for decentralized technology. The Memeland team tweeted that they used $1 million of their treasury funds to buy TON on the open market and will hold it until Durov’s release. Zhu Su, co-founder of Three Arrows Capital, also posted on social media that he bought TON tokens at an average price of $5.80.
Regarding TON’s future outlook, Richard Galvin, co-founder of hedge fund DACM—which participated in TON’s private sale round—told Bloomberg it is “too early” to assess the long-term impact of Durov’s detention on Telegram. He noted that the weekend’s market reaction “temporarily priced in this uncertainty into TON’s valuation.”
CoinTelegraph reported that market analysis suggests certain technical and market factors indicate TON could see a strong rebound in the coming weeks, similar to what previously occurred with BNB. When news of legal disputes emerges, panic selling is common as traders rush to protect their investments from potential fallout. Yet once the initial shock subsides, markets often reassess the situation more rationally—this same psychological pattern could unfold with TON.
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