---
title: "Telegram Domain t.me Go Offline After Domain Placed on Server Hold"
url: https://alitoday.com/telegram-domain-t-me-go-offline-after-domain-placed-on-server-hold/
date: 2026-07-14
modified: 2026-07-14
author: "Alitoday"
description: "NEW YORK : Telegram popular t.me links temporarily stopped working worldwide after the .ME domain registry placed the domain under serverHold status, making links to Telegram channels, groups, bots, profiles,..."
categories:
  - "Business"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "DNS"
  - "Domain"
  - "Pavel Durov"
  - "t.me"
  - "Telegram"
image: https://i0.wp.com/alitoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/converted-7.webp?fit=840%2C473&ssl=1
word_count: 416
---

# Telegram Domain t.me Go Offline After Domain Placed on Server Hold

**NEW YORK** : Telegram popular t.me links temporarily stopped working worldwide after the .ME domain registry placed the domain under serverHold status, making links to Telegram channels, groups, bots, profiles, and posts inaccessible through web browsers.

Telegram's messaging app continued to function normally, allowing users who were already logged in to send and receive messages without interruption.

The problem only affected t.me short links because the domain was no longer resolving through the Domain Name System (DNS).

## What Happened?

According to WHOIS records, the t.me domain was placed on serverHold, a registry-level status that prevents a domain from appearing in the global DNS system.

As a result, browsers and devices were unable to locate the domain, causing all t.me links to stop working.

The records also confirmed that the domain is still registered until May 20, 2035, indicating that the outage was not caused by an expired domain.

## What Does ServerHold Mean?

A **serverHold** status is applied directly by the domain registry.

When this status is active, the domain is removed from DNS, meaning internet users cannot access it even if the website or service behind it is still running.

![](https://alitoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/converted-1-3-825x1024.webp)

This differs from a normal website outage because the problem occurs at the domain level rather than on Telegram's servers.

## Telegram Responds

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov publicly addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter), asking the .ME registry to investigate.

https://twitter.com/durov/status/2076836338117046660?s=20

He wrote:

"Hey @domainME, t.me links stopped working. Can you look into it?"

At the time of publication, neither Telegram, the .ME Registry, nor registry operator Identity Digital had provided an official explanation for the serverHold status.

## Was It Related to U.S. Sanctions?

The outage came shortly after the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against First VPN Service (1VPNS).

The sanctions notice included a [Telegram ](https://telegram.org/)channel link (t.me/FirstVPNService) among several contact details for the sanctioned entity.

This timing led to speculation online that the domain issue might be connected to the sanctions.

However, there is currently no evidence linking the OFAC action to the registry's decision.

The Treasury notice refers only to a specific Telegram channel and does not sanction Telegram or the t.me domain itself.

## What's Next?

For t.me links to work again, the serverHold status must be removed by the .ME registry.

Once restored, DNS records may still take some time to update globally before links become accessible again.

Until [Telegram ](https://alitoday.com/tag/telegram/)or the registry releases an official statement, the reason behind the serverHold status remains unknown.