Telegram Introduces Cocoon AI Platform as Demand for Private AI Solutions Grows

• Telegram has introduced Cocoon, a decentralized confidential compute network that solves the issue of privacy during AI requests.
• Crypto platforms are continually integrating with AI as demand for the technology grows.

The Telegram messaging app recently introduced a decentralized confidential compute network known as Cocoon. The platform, built on the TON blockchain, processes artificial intelligence (AI) requests as demand for the private solution increases.

Telegram’s Cocoon Goes Live

Telegram founder, Pavel Durov, confirmed the launch of Cocoon in a recent post on social media. According to Durov, users can interact with the platform on cocoon[dot]org. The platform processes AI requests with complete user privacy protection.

With Cocoon, anyone with a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) can run AI models for applications that require privacy. As a reward for their contribution, they receive crypto, specifically TON tokens. Durov stated that some GPU owners are already earning TON tokens after contributing their computing power to AI tasks.

Cocoon acts as an alternative to centralized AI providers that cannot guarantee data privacy by connecting GPU providers with developers. This ensures private, verifiable, and attested model execution through Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), such as Intel TDX.

Typically, centralized compute providers like Amazon and Microsoft act as expensive intermediaries, driving up prices and reducing privacy. Recognizing this challenge, Telegram launched Cocoon to solve both the economic and confidentiality issues associated with legacy AI compute providers.

The Telegram founder assured users that the Telegram team will onboard more GPU supply and developer demand to Cocoon. He added that Telegram users can expect new AI-related features built on 100% confidentiality. 

For emphasis, Telegram is the first major customer of the Cocoon network. Durov envisions Cocoon introducing control and privacy back to Telegram users, supported by TON. The Telegram in-app economy is built on TON and supports features like creator payouts and ad payments.

In a recent study, we reported that TON partnered with Chainlink to integrate its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Data Streams infrastructure.

This integration effectively elevates Toncoin, the native token of TON, into a Cross-Chain Token (CCT). It enables it to move across more than 60 blockchain networks.

The Intersection Between Crypto and AI

Meanwhile, the launch of Cocoon comes amid a growing intersection between crypto and AI. As featured in our recent coverage, Hedera Foundation introduced a prediction platform, VictorAI. The platform allows users to place bets on the Hedera blockchain.

Essentially, VictorAI is a smart assistant for prediction markets that runs natively on Hedera. It features a core product, the Telegram bot that lets users place bets as easily as chatting with a friend.

Beyond this integration, Bitcoin miners are tapping new opportunities in the AI sector. Amid a solid demand for the technology, a large number of miners have put their mining rigs to use in AI.

Rather than focusing solely on minting new coins, many miners are now running AI inference workloads and hosting cloud computing services.