Pavel Durov unveils a decentralized AI network built on TON

Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, has announced the launch of a decentralized artificial intelligence network built on the TON blockchain.

Speaking at the Blockchain Life 2025 event in Abu Dhabi, Durov unveiled a project called Confidential Compute Open Network, or Cocoon for short, a network designed to deliver AI capabilities without requiring users to hand over their personal data to centralized providers.

According to Durov, users will be able to contribute the processing power of their GPUs to the network and, in return, earn Toncoin, the native cryptocurrency of the TON blockchain. During his speech, he explained why building AI in a decentralized manner is essential for protecting human digital freedom:

“Why should we build it in a decentralized way rather than centralized, which might seem easier? Because over the past 20 years, the world has been moving in a worrying direction, we’ve been gradually losing our digital freedoms.”

The decentralization of AI models has become one of the most discussed topics among artificial intelligence and blockchain developers in recent months. Experts warn that the excessive concentration of this technology in the hands of a few major corporations increases the risk of privacy violations, censorship, and even information distortion.

According to David Holtzman, Chief Strategy Officer at the cybersecurity protocol Naoris, storing vast amounts of user data on centralized servers creates an attractive target for hackers, raising the likelihood of data breaches and theft. In addition, industry figures have cautioned that centralized providers could secretly alter algorithms or manipulate sensitive information in real time to influence public opinion.