A well-known leader in the social media and crypto industries, Ilya Perekopsky is a man who dons many hats as an entrepreneur, manager, and investor. He is the Vice President of the VKontakte network which is a Russian online social media and networking service and the Vice President of Telegram since 2018. He is also the Founder of Blackmoon Financial Group and the Blackmoon Crypto startup.
Early Life
Ilya Evgenievich Perekopsky was born in Cherepovets, Russia on November 18, 1983. In 2001, he shifted to St. Petersburg where he majored in English language and translation at the Department of Philology at Saint Petersburg State University and graduated in 2006. This is where he met Pavel Durov, who is the founder and CEO of the messaging platform Telegram. Ilya and Pavel were in the same batch and this is how they together went on to develop the first-ever social network in Russia – VKontakte.
While in university, Ilya and Pavel developed and launched an online university forum called spbgu.ru. In 2006, VKontakte(VK) was founded and Ilya was one of the core members. The social network later grew to become the largest in Europe, gaining investments from the father of Vyacheslav Mirilashvili, who is a co-founder of Vkontakte.ru also called VK.
Career
Perekopsky’s career first gained attention through his role at VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest social networking site, where he got to work closely with Pavel Durov. As Vice President, Perepovsky played a crucial role in growing the platform. At VKontakte, Ilya was responsible for recruitment, key accounts, and commercial operations, which included targeted advertising. He also lead a social network and recruitment platform called Vshtate (translated as in-house) for professionals. His experience at VK showcased his leadership and also strengthened his relationship with Durov, which was critical in his later work.
Stepping Into Cryptocurrency
Ilya Perekopsky’s next big move was in 2014 when he founded Blackmoon Financial Group. Blackmoon is a technology platform that provides Marketplace Lending as a Service (MPLaaS), a direct access to the assets originated by balance sheet lenders. He then went on to establish Blackmoon Crypto in 2017, an investment fund-building platform that is blockchain-based.
Blackmoon Crypto was designed to bridge the gap between cryptocurrency and traditional finance with regulated and tokenised investment experience. Blackmoon (BMC) is a cryptocurrency token that operates on the Ethereum blockchain platform. Investors could use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum to purchase shares in tokenised assets. This accessibility made Blackmoon attractive to crypto enthusiasts looking for stable, real-world asset exposure.
Like many blockchain projects, Blackmoon Crypto also faced scrutiny and market volatility. It faced obstacles in meeting compliance requirements across multiple regions. The focus on Blackmoon’s platform shifted over time and the team adapted to new financial landscapes.
Moving To Telegram
After leaving VK, Perekopsky joined Pavel Durov again, this time at Telegram which is a messaging platform with a focus on privacy and security for users. As Vice President of Telegram, Perekopsky was critical in expanding the app’s user base and endorse it as a secure and independent alternative to other social media platforms. His first project at Telegram was raising equity for Grams, which is a cryptocurrency of the new TON (Telegram Open Network) blockchain developed by Telegram to integrate decentralized finance with Telegram’s communication features. It was created with the aim for a fast, efficient blockchain network supporting a cryptocurrency called “Grams”. But there were some regulatory concerns which halted Telegram’s involvement in TON in 2020.
After Telegram left the project, Perekopsky and other TON supporters remained committed to the blockchain’s development. As a core member of the project, he worked to carry forward the project independently. Under his guidance, the TON foundation continues to make strides in developing blockchain solutions. He dreams a future where blockchain-based applications are as easy to use as any mainstream app.
Final Word
Ilya Perekopsky has built a career dedicated to innovation, privacy and user empowerment. From his early days at VK to his latest role at Telegram, he focused on creating digital platforms that prioritise user control and privacy. Ilya is multilingual and fluent in languages such as English, Spanish, French and Russian. He has also appeared in the film “Durov” by Rodion Chepel where there is a scene of throwing paper planes made of 5 thousand rubles banknotes from a window to show the world that money was nothing but dirt, which was originally Ilya’s Perekopsky’s idea.
