Key Takeaways
- Telegram rose to 8th place among the most downloaded apps globally in Q1 2025.
- Pavel Durov claimed the global rankings showed a shift away from a “Meta ecosystem.”
- India’s leadership in crypto adoption may have fueled Telegram’s growth.
Telegram has surged to the eighth position among the most downloaded mobile apps globally in the first quarter of 2025, as major Meta platforms declined in rankings.
Founder Pavel Durov highlighted Telegram’s milestone last week, framing it as part of a broader shift away from the “Meta ecosystem.”
The platform’s growing popularity is likely tied to its central role in the expanding global crypto landscape, particularly in India.
In 2024, India topped Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index for the second consecutive year, pointing to an increased use of Telegram for crypto-related discussions.
Telegram Chasing Meta
On Friday, May 23, Durov celebrated the global mobile app download rankings for Q1 2025 on X.
“All major Meta apps dropped in the rankings, while Telegram climbed up,” he posted.
“The shift away from the Meta ecosystem continues.”
Previously the world’s most downloaded app, Instagram was overtaken by TikTok and dropped to second place.
WhatsApp, Facebook, and Threads also declined in the rankings.
Telegram secured the eighth position globally, surpassing Snapchat and Threads, which landed in ninth and tenth place, respectively.
India’s Crypto Boom
Telegram’s rising popularity is closely linked to its unique position within the global crypto community.
Unlike mainstream messaging platforms that have distanced themselves from crypto due to regulatory concerns, Telegram and Durov have embraced crypto’s core principles of decentralization and Web3.
India, Telegram’s largest market, led the world in the usage of centralized exchanges and decentralized finance platforms from June 2023 to July 2024.
Statista data also showed that Telegram had India’s fourth-highest penetration rate among social media platforms in 2024.
In Q3 2023, more than half of India’s active social media users reported using Telegram at least once in the past month.
“India has seen broad adoption across various crypto assets despite restrictions, suggesting that new participants are entering the space via platforms that haven’t been banned,” said Eric Jardine, research lead at Chainalysis.
Telegram’s seamless integration of Web3 tools has made it the platform of choice for DeFi communities.
Telegram’s Appeal
Beyond its crypto-friendly environment, Telegram’s appeal lies in its relatively unrestricted space compared to mainstream platforms, which face strict content moderation and advertising policies.
As India maintains a stringent regulatory stance on crypto, Telegram provides a space where users and developers can engage with minimal oversight.
While this openness has drawn criticism from lawmakers, Durov’s commitment to decentralization has created thriving crypto communities within the platform.
In April, Durov said encryption was not “built to protect criminals,” but rather to protect the “privacy and safety of ordinary people.”
Meta’s Declining Influence
Once the dominant force in the online space, Meta’s ecosystem has seen a steady decline in user engagement amid shifting user behavior, regulatory challenges, and increased competition.
In January 2025, Meta faced backlash after announcing the removal of independent fact-checkers across its platforms.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced community-based fact-checking, mirroring a model used by Elon Musk’s X.
This move aligned with President Trump’s push for less censorship and broader free speech protections.
“We’re going to work with President Trump to push back on governments that are targeting American companies and pushing for more censorship,” Zuckerberg stated.
In response, Google searches for phrases like “how to permanently delete Facebook” spiked, reaching a score of 100, the maximum level of interest on Google Trends.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
