CMC News

TON Powers New Decentralized AI Network Paying GPU Owners

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov unveiled #Cocoon at Blockchain Life 2025 in Dubai, introducing a decentralized #AI compute network built on The Open Network blockchain. The platform, formally called the Confidential Compute Open Network, will compensate GPU owners in $TON for providing private AI inference capabilities.

The network launches in November with #Telegram serving as its first major customer. Applications for GPU providers and developers opened immediately following Wednesday's announcement. Cocoon creates a marketplace where individuals contribute computing power through graphics processing units and receive cryptocurrency in exchange.

Developers gain access to low-cost AI #infrastructure that processes queries without exposing user data to centralized providers. The confidential computing approach keeps information encrypted throughout the process, even from GPU owners performing the actual computation. Durov positioned the project as a response to eroding digital freedoms over the past two decades.

Max Crown, CEO of the TON Foundation, described the launch as a shift toward an open, user-driven compute economy. "Leveraging Telegram's billion-strong user base and TON's high-performance, scalable #blockchain technology, Cocoon has the potential to redefine how billions interact with AI in their everyday digital lives," Crown stated in a press release.

The timing aligns with growing concerns about centralized AI systems operated by companies like OpenAI and Google. These platforms observe all user prompts, data, patterns, and metadata during query processing. Cocoon's architecture challenges the monopoly held by Big Tech corporations, including Amazon's AWS and Microsoft Azure.

AlphaTON Capital, a Nasdaq-listed digital asset infrastructure and $TON treasury company, announced substantial investment plans for network hardware.