Telegram founder Pavel Durov said today that the service now has more than 1 billion active users. This number is up from last year’s reported 950 million monthly active users.

Durov also noted that the company registered $547 million in profits last year. He had announced the company’s profitability in December but hadn’t provided any numbers at that time.

The founder, who recently returned to Dubai after clearance from France, also took a jab at Meta-owned rival WhatsApp and called it a cheap imitation.

“Ahead of us stands WhatsApp — a cheap, watered-down imitation of Telegram. For years, they’ve desperately tried to copy our innovations while burning billions on lobbying and PR campaigns to slow us down. They failed. Telegram grew, became profitable, and — unlike our competitor — retained its independence,” he said in an update on his channel.

Durov was under investigation in France related to alleged criminal activities — such as facilitating organized fraud, illegal transactions, and the sharing of CSAM (child sexual abuse material)  — on Telegram. He also spent a few days in police custody in August.

Outside China, WhatsApp stands tall in terms of lead in popular chat platforms with more than 2 billion monthly active users. Both companies are also competing to get the mindshare of businesses and creators through various features such as business accounts and channels.

Telegram has additionally appealed to crypto enthusiasts by integrating the TON blockchain, wallets, and decentralized app ecosystem for unlocking content, tipping creators, and in-app purchases for mini-apps and games. The company also rolled out a decentralized verification system in January through a network of third-party accounts.