Key Insights:
- Binance founder CZ claims he doesn’t use Telegram due to spam issues.
- Pavel Durov responds publicly crediting CZ’s paywall inbox suggestion.
- Telegram implemented Star paid messaging system allowing up to $130 per DM.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has publicly claimed he doesn’t use Telegram and stated that spam messages make his phone lag.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov responded directly and acknowledged that CZ’s previous feedback about inbox paywalls led to the platform’s paid messaging feature.
CZ Cites Spam Problems Behind Telegram Avoidance
Changpeng Zhao, aka CZ, posted on X that he doesn’t use Telegram and all accounts bearing his name on the platform are fake.
The Binance co-founder explained that one specific feature killed the messaging app for him. That was anyone who can send direct messages when they know a user’s handle. This open messaging system resulted in overwhelming spam that caused his phone to lag.
CZ clarified he holds no animosity toward Telegram as a platform. The spam volume reached levels that affected his device performance.
The former Binance CEO revealed he had previously shared this feedback directly with Pavel Durov during a personal conversation.
However, the messaging app remains popular within crypto communities for project announcements, trading groups, and informal communications.
Durov Credits CZ’s Paywall Suggestion for Platform Updates
Pavel Durov responded directly to CZ’s post and mentioned the Binance founder’s previous suggestion about inbox paywalls.
Durov credited CZ with proposing the idea that celebrities should be able to charge for incoming messages to prevent spam flooding. The Telegram CEO confirmed this feedback influenced platform development decisions.
A community member explained that Telegram implemented the Star paid messaging system following CZ’s suggestions.
Users can now set fees for anyone outside their contacts or groups to send direct messages. The system uses Telegram’s in-app currency with prices ranging up to 10,000 Stars per message.
The current system allows users to charge approximately $130 per message at maximum Star pricing. Pavel Durov himself set his direct message price at the maximum 10,000 Stars.
The community member suggested Telegram could increase limits further for users like CZ who might want higher prices.
YZi Labs Plans Major Expansion
CZ’s public statements come as his $10 billion investment firm YZi Labs considers opening to external investors.
The firm, spun out of Binance in January, currently manages money for CZ and a small number of early Binance executives including co-founder Yi He.
Ella Zhang, head of YZi Labs, confirmed that the firm is open to converting into an external-facing fund when ready.
The transition would need building expertise in AI and biotech investments where the firm is still forming teams. External investor access would bring “huge responsibility” according to Zhang’s statements to the Financial Times.
Opening to US investors would bring in greater regulatory scrutiny for the firm. CZ remains barred from Binance management following his guilty plea to money laundering charges and four-month jail sentence.
He also continues to seek a presidential pardon from Donald Trump while maintaining his position as Binance’s largest shareholder.
YZi Labs recently invested in crypto treasury firms including a $1 billion deal with former Bitmain executives and a $500 million fundraise converting a Nasdaq vape maker into a BNB treasury company.
Digital assets comprise 70% of the firm’s investments. In addition, AI and robotics interest increases and aligns with CZ’s vision of robotics transactions through crypto wallets.