Toncoin Open Interest (OI) has jumped 67% over the past 24 hours following Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s reported departure from France, where he had been required to stay since his arrest six months ago.
On March 15, Toncoin (TON) OI — a metric tracking the total number of unsettled Toncoin derivative contracts such as options and futures — reached $169 million, representing a 67% increase from the previous day when the reports of Durov’s departure first surfaced, according to CoinGlass data.
Toncoin open interest reaches highest level in 42 days
It is the highest level of OI in Toncoin since Feb. 1, when it was sitting at $171.49 million.
TON is The Open Network’s native cryptocurrency and is the exclusive blockchain infrastructure for Telegram’s Mini App ecosystem.
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TON’s price jumped 17% over the same period. Toncoin is trading at $3.45 at the time of publication, according to CoinMarketCap data. Trading resource account Crypto Billion said in a March 15 X post that Toncoin is “showing signs of a potential long-term accumulation phase as it stabilizes near key support levels.”
Meanwhile, approximately $18.8 million in long positions are at risk of liquidation if TON’s price retraces back toward the $3 mark it was trading at on March 14.
Toncoin open interest also surged after arrest in 2024
The court reportedly allowed Durov to travel to Dubai, a city with no extradition agreements with many countries.
The market’s reaction signals how significant this case is to the crypto industry, with many worried that Durov’s arrest in August 2024 in France could set a precedent for cracking down on other privacy-focused services. He was accused of running a platform that enables illicit transactions.
Related: Bitget predicts TON ‘de-Telegramization’ in the next 2 year
Similarly, when Durov was arrested in August 2024, TON’s OI also surged.
Following the news of Durov’s arrest on Aug. 24, 2024, TON’s OI spiked 32% over the following 24 hours, alongside its price falling almost 12%.
On Jan. 21, Telegram announced it would cease support for all blockchains other than The Open Network for its messenger services.
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