KEY FACTS: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has officially launched Cocoon, a fully decentralized AI compute network built on The Open Network (TON) blockchain that allows users to run AI queries privately and at a fraction of the cost of centralized providers like AWS and Microsoft Azure. Cocoon is turning idle GPUs worldwide into a peer-to-peer marketplace paid in Toncoin. Cocoon eliminates expensive intermediaries, protects user data from corporate surveillance, and enables anyone with compatible hardware to earn revenue. Announced just two months earlier at Blockchain Life 2025 in Dubai, the platform went live over the weekend, immediately processing real user requests through Telegram bots while aligning with growing demands for privacy-focused, blockchain-verified AI infrastructure.

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Source: Cocoon

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Telegram's Pavel Durov Launches Cocoon Decentralized AI Network

Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov has announced the full operational launch of Cocoon, a decentralized AI network designed to prioritize user privacy and democratize access to computational power. The platform, built atop The Open Network (TON) blockchain, went live over the weekend, marking a significant milestone in the integration of blockchain technology with AI development. As centralized AI giants continue to dominate the market, Cocoon emerges as a beacon for those seeking alternatives that shield personal data from corporate oversight while slashing costs for end-users.

Durov, a vocal advocate for digital rights and decentralization, positioned Cocoon not just as a technical innovation but as a philosophical counterweight to the "Big Tech" model of AI deployment. According to him, centralized compute providers such as Amazon and Microsoft act as expensive intermediaries that drive up prices and reduce privacy. Durov pitched that Cocoon solves both the economic and confidentiality issues associated with legacy AI compute providers. With this rollout, GPU owners worldwide are already reaping the rewards, renting out their hardware to process user queries and earning Toncoin, the native cryptocurrency of the TON ecosystem, in return.

The seeds of Cocoon were planted just two months ago at the Blockchain Life 2025 conference in Dubai, where Durov took the stage to unveil the project amid a sea of blockchain enthusiasts and tech innovators. The event, held in the heart of the UAE's burgeoning crypto hub, drew thousands eager to explore the intersections of Web3, AI, and privacy. Durov's presentation was more than a product demo; it was a rallying cry against the centralization of AI power in the hands of a few mega-corporations. He highlighted how user feedback on Telegram had repeatedly called for an AI solution that didn't compromise on confidentiality.

Since that October reveal, the Cocoon team has worked tirelessly to refine the network's infrastructure. Built as a distributed computing platform on TON, an independent layer-1 blockchain originally incubated within Telegram's ecosystem, Cocoon leverages the blockchain's scalability and security to create a peer-to-peer marketplace for AI processing. Users submit queries, ranging from simple data analysis to complex generative tasks, which are then routed to available GPU nodes across the globe. These nodes, operated by individuals or small-scale providers, execute the computations in a fully decentralized manner, ensuring no single entity controls the flow of data or the final outputs.

The network's debut was met with immediate traction. Within hours of going live on Sunday, Cocoon had processed its inaugural batch of user requests, demonstrating seamless integration with Telegram's intuitive interface. Early adopters, including developers and privacy-conscious consumers, reported smooth experiences, with processing times rivaling those of centralized services but at a fraction of the cost. For GPU owners, the incentives are equally compelling, in that idle hardware that once gathered dust can now generate passive income through Toncoin payouts, potentially transforming high-end gaming rigs into revenue streams.

Pavel Durov, a figure synonymous with defiance against centralized authority, is a Russian-born entrepreneur, often dubbed the "Russian Mark Zuckerberg" for his early success with VKontakte (Russia's answer to Facebook), who fled his homeland in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands for user data. He later founded Telegram in 2013, turning it into a fortress of encrypted communication that has weathered bans, hacks, and legal battles worldwide.

Durov's foray into blockchain began with TON in 2018, a project initially shelved by Telegram under regulatory pressure from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but revived by an independent community. Today, TON powers not only Cocoon but a suite of Telegram-integrated apps, from mini-games to payment tools. Durov's vision for Cocoon extends the ethos that AI should empower individuals, not ensnare them in surveillance capitalism.

This is not Durov's first brush with controversy or innovation. Just last year, he faced a travel ban in France over allegations related to Telegram's content moderation policies, a restriction that was lifted earlier this month, allowing him freer movement to champion projects like Cocoon on the global stage. His personal stake in the project is evident; Durov has committed a portion of Telegram's resources to bootstrapping the network, ensuring its alignment with the messenger's privacy-first DNA.

Meanwhile, dominant players like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud hold a stranglehold on AI compute resources, commanding premiums that make advanced AI inaccessible to all but the deepest-pocketed enterprises. These services, while efficient, come at a steep price: not just in dollars, but in user autonomy. Every query processed funnels data through proprietary servers, where it can be logged, analyzed, and potentially shared with third parties, including governments.

The blockchain community and privacy advocates have been sounding the alarm for years. Cypherpunks, the ideological forebears of modern crypto, envisioned decentralized systems as safeguards against such overreach. By distributing compute across a trustless network, Cocoon ensures that no single node can tamper with results or access sensitive inputs. Transactions are verified through TON's consensus mechanism, creating an immutable audit trail without revealing underlying data. This approach bolsters security as well as fosters innovation; developers in underserved regions can now tap into global GPU resources without prohibitive fees.

The rise of decentralized AI traces back to 2024, when a coalition of AI researchers from the Dfinity Foundation, stewards of the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), and executives from Onicai, a pioneer in decentralized AI tools, published a seminal framework outlining seven ethical guidelines for the field. At its core, AI must run through permissionless blockchain networks to guarantee transparency and data integrity. Other tenets include bias mitigation through diverse node contributions, open-source model auditing, and mechanisms for user consent in data handling.

Cocoon aligns closely with these principles. Its architecture enforces pseudonymity for participants, with smart contracts automating payments and task allocation. This permissionless model lowers barriers to entry, allowing anyone with a compatible GPU can join as a provider, while users interact via simple Telegram bots. Early metrics suggest scalability.

For GPU owners, the economic model of Cocoon is a game-changer. In a world where AI training demands ever-more compute, Cocoon turns surplus capacity into a marketplace asset. Early earners report yields competitive with cloud mining, minus the energy waste. As Durov envisions, this could spark a "compute renaissance," where individuals fund open-source AI research through collective contributions.

Information Sources:

• Pavel Durov/ X
• Pavel Durov/ Telegram
• Cointelegraph
• Cocoon Website

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