Quick Breakdown
- Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov announced the live launch of the Cocoon decentralized confidential-compute network built on $TON.
- The network’s primary goal is to provide privacy-preserving AI services, serving as a direct alternative to centralized providers such as Amazon and Microsoft.
- Cocoon allows Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) owners to rent out their computing power in exchange for $TON, the native token of the TON blockchain.
Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov confirmed on Sunday, November 30, that the Cocoon decentralized confidential compute network is officially live, marking a major step toward bringing privacy-first Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the Web3 space. Built on The Open Network ($TON), the layer-1 blockchain associated with the messaging giant Cocoon, serves as a distributed computing platform for processing AI queries with complete confidentiality. The network aims to solve the economic and privacy issues associated with legacy, centralized AI compute providers such as Amazon and Microsoft, which Durov cited as “expensive intermediaries that drive up prices and reduce privacy”.
The platform creates a marketplace for computational power, enabling GPU owners to contribute their hardware to the network and earn Toncoin ($TON) for processing user requests. Durov stated that the decentralized network has already processed its initial user requests, with GPU owners beginning to profit from renting out their hardware. Telegram plans to be Cocoon’s first major customer, leveraging its capabilities to power private user interactions within the messaging application and serve as the primary demand engine for the nascent network.
Emphasizing privacy and decentralized computing
Cocoon’s core value proposition is protecting user privacy and data confidentiality. It leverages confidential computing, specifically Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) such as Intel TDX, to securely connect GPU providers to privacy-conscious applications. This framework ensures that the AI models are executed in an attested and verifiable manner, but without exposing the user’s sensitive data to the GPU provider. Durov framed the launch as a move toward digital freedom, positioning it against the centralization of AI, which he argues risks the internet becoming “the ultimate tool of control”.
Cocoon’s launch of a decentralized, confidential AI network on The Open Network ($TON) is a critical move that extends Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s commitment to digital freedom. This network offers a privacy-preserving alternative to the “expensive intermediaries” of centralized tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, directly countering the centralization of power that Durov warns could turn AI into “the ultimate tool of control.” This move mirrors his recent rejection of political censorship demands, underscoring the ongoing conflict between centralized pressure and the platform’s dedication to free expression.
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