Telegram CEO criticises EU’s 2026 crypto regulations as attack on privacy

Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised new EU rules coming into effect in 2026, describing the mandatory automatic exchange of information on crypto assets and transactions between member states as a continuation of the “war” on personal privacy.

He wrote on X that the EU’s war on privacy never stops, Caliber.Az reports.

The war against privacy never stops in the EU. It’s all for their own good, of course. Who knows what those sneaky Europeans can be up to without more surveillance? https://t.co/PJEoTjC85v

— Pavel Durov (@durov) January 7, 2026

“It’s all for their own good, of course. Who knows what those sneaky Europeans can be up to without more surveillance?” Durov noted.

He expressed concern over the implementation of the DAC8 directive, which expands the automatic exchange of tax information between European countries. 

Under the new rules, crypto service providers are required to collect and transmit data on transactions conducted by users who are EU residents.

By Jeyhun Aghazada