Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who exposed the "Prism" program, spoke via video link at the Token2049 conference. He said, "The last time I was in Singapore was 2009. 15 years have passed and many things have changed, but one thing hasn't: the (U.S.) government is monitoring everyone, everywhere. Once, regulators wanted Telegram to shut down certain channels from its servers. They knew Telegram had the ability to do this. The (U.S.) government simply wanted to maintain control over Facebook. Controlling Telegram wasn't really the point, it was about something bigger: regulators want to know who everyone is, they want to understand everyone's "social habits," and they try to control and mold everyone, silencing those they deem dangerous or incorrect."

"Most people dismiss this, thinking it's far removed from them, but the truth is that every electronic device you own is being monitored."

"Ordinary people talking about cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, privacy — that makes Wall Street and the millionaires uncomfortable. I don't care about the feelings of those in power."