Telegram Raises Another $850 Million For Largest ICO Ever
Messaging app Telegram has raised an additional $850 million for its initial coin offering, according to documents filed with the SEC on Thursday. The funding means that Telegram has raised a total of $1.7 billion so far for what will likely be the largest ICO in history.
Telegram last raised $850 million in February for its first round of funding. Rather than issue traditional company shares, Telegram is giving investors discounted rates for its “Gram” virtual coins, which will be used to build a decentralized network for the Telegram app.
While investors were required to cut multi-million dollar checks to buy heavily discounted Telegram coins for the app's first round of funding, this second $850 million round required a minimum investment of $1 million, Telegram told the SEC.
Dubai-based Telegram is reportedly planning to raise yet another $850 million in a third offering to investors, bringing its grand total of funding to roughly $2.5 billion. Telegram planned to sell its Grams in a public presale as well but abandoned the plan after the SEC increased its scrutiny of the ICO market, according to a person familiar with the matter. The app recently [announced] (https://telegram.org/blog/200-million) that it has 200 million monthly users.
*Reporting by Alex Heath.*
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
We sat down with Ali Furman, U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader at consulting firm PwC to ask what trends she garnered from the initial data this year.
Seth Schachner breaks down Zootopia 2’s record-smashing debut, holiday box office trends, early 2026 Oscar contenders, and what’s next for Netflix and WBD.
