Durov said the contest will showcase Telegram’s long-standing innovation and leadership in messaging features.
The Telegram founder said:
“It’s time to wake WhatsApp users up. They’re trapped in the past, using late, watered-down versions of innovations Telegram pioneered long before.”
The move marks a public escalation in the long-standing rivalry between the two messaging giants.
While WhatsApp boasts over 3 billion users worldwide and is widely adopted for its end-to-end encryption and recent privacy upgrades, Durov insists that Telegram remains the true innovator.
Durov urged contestants in the competition to create short videos that demonstrate Telegram’s technological lead and privacy-first approach.
He added that the submissions should show how Telegram’s features were original and arrived years before WhatsApp implemented similar tools. He stated:
“The goal is simple: create a viral video showing how Telegram has always been years ahead of its cheap copycat — WhatsApp.”
Over the years, Telegram has grown rapidly, especially within the crypto community, thanks to its open platform and commitment to security.
