Pavel Durov unveiled Cocoon, a private AI on the TON blockchain

At Blockchain Life 2025 in Dubai, Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced Cocoon (Confidential Compute Open Network) — a decentralized system combining the TON blockchain and artificial intelligence. The project aims to provide confidential AI processing free from government or corporate control.

The launch is set for November 2025, with Telegram as the first integration hub. Cocoon introduces a decentralized GPU-compute network, where individuals with graphics cards can process AI requests and earn Toncoin (TON) rewards. Estimates suggest average contributors may earn $20–$60 per month, depending on GPU performance and network demand.

According to Messari Research, the DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) sector is growing at over 45 % annually, expected to surpass $50 billion by 2030. Meanwhile, the centralized cloud industry — dominated by AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — has already reached $620 billion in value. Analysts predict that 10–15 % of global cloud workloads may migrate to decentralized models by the end of the decade.

Cocoon’s architecture ensures end-to-end encryption, meaning no participant can view the content or origin of AI queries. This innovation establishes a new paradigm: “private AI”, where data ownership and control rest entirely with users.

With over 1.1 billion active Telegram users, Cocoon could become the largest decentralized AI ecosystem on the internet. Even if just 1 % of Telegram’s audience adopts the platform, the network would process millions of encrypted AI tasks daily — rivaling traditional cloud providers in scale.

As Durov summarized:

“The world is losing control over personal data. Cocoon is designed to return that control to the people.”