Telegram's Pavel Durov Launches Cocoon Decentralized AI Network

Summary: The Cocoon decentralized AI network has officially launched, providing a platform that allows users to rent their computing power in exchange for Toncoin. This initiative addresses the growing demand for privacy-oriented AI solutions amid concerns over centralized AI's implications for data security and user privacy.

Key Takeaways

Cocoon, a decentralized AI network, is now operational.
Users can rent GPU computing power and earn Toncoin.
The initiative aims to protect privacy and data from centralized AI systems.
Concerns about centralized AI have prompted calls for decentralized solutions.
A significant majority favor decentralized AI over centralized systems for societal benefits.

Telegram's Pavel Durov: Cocoon decentralized AI network now live

Cocoon Goes Live

The Cocoon decentralized AI network, a privacy-focused distributed computing platform built on The Open Network (TON) — a stand-alone layer-1 blockchain linked to the Telegram messaging service — was officially launched on Sunday.

Cocoon enables graphics processing unit (GPU) owners to rent out their computing resources, which are utilized to process user requests in exchange for Toncoin, the native currency of the TON blockchain. According to Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, the network has already started processing user queries, and GPU owners are beginning to see profits from their rentals.

Decentralization, Telegram, Pavel Durov, GPU, TON _Source:_Pavel Durov

Durov announced Cocoon's launch at the Blockchain Life 2025 conference in Dubai, UAE, last October. This development responds to the demand for an AI platform that prioritizes user privacy and data security over traditional centralized AI services.

For some time, the blockchain community, along with privacy advocates and cypherpunks, has expressed concerns regarding the social risks of centralized AI. They argue that decentralized AI networks offer a viable solution to these challenges.

Decentralization, Telegram, Pavel Durov, GPU, TON _Durov announces Cocoon at the Blockchain Life 2025 conference in Dubai. Source:_Blockchain Life 2025

The Significance of Decentralized AI

Centralized AI systems can place a significant amount of control in the hands of governments and corporations, thus posing risks to individual privacy and traditional cybersecurity measures. David Holtzman, the chief strategy officer of the Naoris decentralized security protocol, shared this insight with Cointelegraph.

He noted that integrating blockchain technology with AI could alleviate these risks by enabling information verification, ensuring tamper-proof data records, and facilitating communications between nodes in a secure, trustless environment.

In 2024, AI researchers from the Dfinity Foundation, a non-profit organization overseeing the development of the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), together with executives from the decentralized AI developer Onicai, outlined seven principles designed to promote ethical AI practices. Among these principles is running AI on permissionless blockchain networks to foster transparency and maintain data integrity.

A survey conducted by the Digital Currency Group (DCG) in May revealed that 77% of the 2,036 respondents believe that decentralized AI technologies would provide greater societal benefits compared to their centralized counterparts.

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