AlphaTON Capital Signs Definitive Agreement to Launch First Fully Privacy-Preserving AI Agents to Telegram’s Billion Users
Rhea-AI Summary
AlphaTON Capital (Nasdaq: ATON) signed a definitive Federated Node Agreement with the Midnight Foundation to deliver privacy-preserving AI for Telegram users. The deal names AlphaTON as a founding federated node provider and establishes a 20% revenue share model on a vertically integrated privacy tech stack combining Midnight’s zero-knowledge blockchain with Telegram’s Cocoon AI. The agreement is executed and effective Dec 30, 2025, covers development of a Proof of Concept and Node Services, and includes day-one monthly compensation beginning in the first quarter after the effective date plus reimbursement for documented network growth costs.
This positions AlphaTON to generate immediate and scalable revenue while enabling confidential compute for Telegram’s nearly one billion users without third-party access to user data.
Positive
- Signed definitive Federated Node Agreement effective Dec 30, 2025
- Named one of ten founding Midnight nodes to deploy privacy layer integration
- 20% revenue share model on the vertically integrated privacy tech stack
- Day-one monthly compensation for PoC and Node Services starting in Q1 after effective date
- Reimbursement for documented network growth costs, creating scalable revenue upside
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, ATON gained 22.99%, reflecting a significant positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +29.5% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 8 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $3M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $18M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
ATON fell 11.75% while most asset-management peers saw smaller moves (e.g., EQS -4.23%, BCG -2.27%, CUBA -1.18%), with RMCO notably up 13.93%. This pattern points to company-specific pressure rather than a broad sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 13 | Registered direct offering | Negative | +42.9% | Dilutive $15M capital raise to fund Cocoon AI and corporate needs. |
| Jan 12 | AI infra expansion | Positive | +1.0% | Closed $46M AI compute deal with detailed projected returns and financing. |
| Dec 17 | Program clarification | Negative | -14.0% | Cancelled Anduril tokenized program after identifying transferability risks. |
| Dec 17 | AI biotech platform | Positive | -14.0% | Announced decentralized AI-native biotech platform focused on rare cancers. |
| Dec 16 | Strategic investment | Positive | -3.6% | Invested in Alpha Liquid Terminal to build a Telegram financial stack. |
News tied to AI and infrastructure often shows mixed follow-through, with several positive-sounding announcements met by negative price reactions, while recent financing produced a sharp upside move.
Over the last two months, AlphaTON has focused on AI infrastructure and the Telegram ecosystem. On Nov 26, 2025 and Dec 1, 2025, it detailed large GPU buildouts and Cocoon AI deployments. Subsequent AI updates on Dec 8 and Dec 17, 2025 expanded into H200 GPUs and a decentralized biotech platform. A $15M registered direct offering on Jan 13, 2026 pivoted toward funding Cocoon AI scale-out. Today’s federated node and revenue-share agreement continues that AI-and-privacy buildout on Telegram.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An effective Form F-3 shelf filed on Nov 6, 2025 registers the resale of up to 189,719 ordinary shares by a selling shareholder. The company is not selling shares under this registration and does not receive proceeds. The shelf is effective through Nov 6, 2028 and has been used in connection with 424B5 prospectus supplements filed on Nov 25, 2025 and Jan 15, 2026.
Market Pulse Summary
The stock surged +23.0% in the session following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with AlphaTON’s pattern of sizable moves around AI milestones, such as the GPU infrastructure announcements on Nov 26 and Dec 8, 2025. The signed federated node agreement and 20% revenue-share model formalize monetization around Telegram’s privacy-preserving AI stack. Investors would still need to weigh prior capital-raising activity and resale capacity under the active F-3 shelf when considering the durability of any sharp upside move.
Key Terms
zero-knowledge blockchain technical
TON blockchain technical
federated node technical
Proof of Concept technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Landmark deal with Midnight Foundation generates immediate revenue with AlphaTON as a Founding Federated Node Architecture Provider, establishing a
New York, NY, Jan. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AlphaTON Capital (Nasdaq: ATON), the world's leading public technology company scaling the Telegram super app, with an addressable market of 1 billion monthly active users, today announced a landmark agreement with the Midnight Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the development, adoption and real-world impact of the Midnight network a privacy-enhancing blockchain founded by Charles Hoskinson, founder and CEO of Input Output, the engineering company behind Cardano.
This strategic partnership marks the first-to-market integration of a zero-knowledge blockchain with the TON ecosystem. Combined with AlphaTON’s recent deployment of infrastructure for Telegram’s privacy-centric Cocoon AI, this positions AlphaTON Capital to deliver fully vertically integrated, privacy-preserving AI products to Telegram’s nearly one billion users. Built on Cocoon AI’s foundation of confidential compute, this initiative advances AlphaTON’s mission to generate sustained shareholder value by empowering billions with digital sovereignty.
In an era where AI and data privacy are at the forefront of public concern, users are increasingly seeking alternatives to centralized models that harvest their information. Telegram’s Cocoon AI, layered with Midnight’s groundbreaking programmable privacy features, will create a new standard. This hybrid architecture will enable Telegram users to interact with sophisticated AI agents for tasks such as finance, shopping, and support, while keeping their messages, credentials, and financial data fully confidential. Neither Telegram, Cocoon AI, AlphaTON, nor Midnight will receive or access users’ data. The user will own their data across the entire stack and can keep all personal data private whilst using advanced AI applications.
“The next great leap for the internet isn’t more speed or more content, it’s the restoration of personal agency. Utility should not come at the expense of privacy and ownership,” said Fahmi Syed, President of the Midnight Foundation. “By providing a platform for privacy-enhancing applications, we empower organizations like AlphaTON Capital to deliver innovation that keeps users in control while remaining compliant. This partnership is a powerful example of how decentralized technology can be scaled to meet real-world demand.”
This integration positions AlphaTON Capital as an ecosystem growth vehicle, enabling the world’s super-app to become the hub for the most advanced privacy technologies. “By building the critical infrastructure that enables confidential AI on a global platform, we are creating a new and highly scalable revenue stream. We’re capturing a first-mover advantage in a market projected to reach trillions of dollars, solidifying our role as an essential infrastructure provider in the new digital economy,” said Enzo Villani, Chairman of the Board, AlphaTON Capital.
Financial and Operational Highlights
The Federated Node Agreement is a signed, legally binding contract that establishes a clear framework for immediate revenue generation and long-term value creation. Under the terms of the agreement, Midnight has engaged AlphaTON Capital to provide one of the ten founding Midnight nodes to develop and deploy software that integrates Midnight’s privacy layer with Telegram and the TON blockchain.
- Signed Definitive Agreement: The Federated Node Agreement is executed and effective as of December 30, 2025, by both the Midnight Foundation and AlphaTON Capital Corp.
- Day-One Revenue: The agreement includes a monthly compensation to AlphaTON Capital for the development of the Proof of Concept and the provision of Node Services, with payments beginning in the first quarter following the effective date.
- Revenue Upside: The agreement provides for additional reimbursement for documented costs associated with network growth, including data egress fees, creating a scalable revenue model aligned with network adoption.
Today’s announcement underscores AlphaTON Capital’s commitment to building the infrastructure that makes data ownership a reality. By integrating privacy-preserving technology into the TON ecosystem, AlphaTON Capital is creating tangible value for shareholders and solidifying its leadership in the future of decentralized AI.
About AlphaTON Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: ATON)
AlphaTON Capital Corp (NASDAQ: ATON) is the world's leading technology public company scaling the Telegram super app, with an addressable market of 1 billion monthly active users while managing a strategic reserve of digital assets. The Company implements a comprehensive M&A and treasury strategy that combines direct token acquisition, validator operations, and strategic ecosystem investments to generate sustainable returns for shareholders. Through its operations, AlphaTON Capital provides public market investors with institutional-grade exposure to the TON ecosystem and Telegram's billion-user platform while maintaining the governance standards and reporting transparency of a Nasdaq-listed company. Led by Chief Executive Officer Brittany Kaiser, Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer Enzo Villani, and Chief Business Development Officer Yury Mitin, the Company's activities span network validation and staking operations, development of Telegram-based applications, and strategic investments in TON-based decentralized finance protocols, gaming platforms, and business applications.
AlphaTON Capital Corp is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ATON". AlphaTON Capital, through its legacy business, is also advancing first-in-class therapies targeting known checkpoint resistance pathways to achieve durable treatment responses and improve patients' quality of life. AlphaTON Capital actively engages in the drug development process and provides strategic counsel to guide the development of novel immunotherapy assets and asset combinations. To learn more, please visit https://alphatoncapital.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or AlphaTON's future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the development and adoption of AI technologies, cryptocurrency market volatility, regulatory developments, technical challenges in infrastructure deployment, and general economic conditions. AlphaTON undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
About Midnight Foundation
The Midnight Foundation is an organisation dedicated to advancing the development, adoption, and real-world impact of the Midnight network, the privacy enhancing blockchain project developed by Shielded Technologies. Designed for confidential smart contracts, Midnight enables censorship-resistant yet compliant decentralised applications. It leverages zero-knowledge proofs and a cooperative tokenomics architecture – with NIGHT as the utility token and DUST as the shielded capacity resource – to deliver a powerful combination of privacy, security, and decentralization.
Investor Relations:
AlphaTON Capital Corp
AlphaTON@icrinc.com
(203) 682-8200
Media Inquiries:
Richard Laermer
RLM PR
AlphaTON@rlmpr.com
(212) 741-5106 X 216
Richard Laermer RLM PR AlphaTON(at)rlmpr.com
FAQ
What did AlphaTON (ATON) announce on January 20, 2026 about Telegram integration?
How does the AlphaTON and Midnight deal generate revenue for ATON shareholders?
When does AlphaTON expect payments to begin under the Federated Node Agreement (ATON)?
What role will AlphaTON (ATON) play in the Midnight–Telegram privacy architecture?
Does the integration allow third parties to access Telegram user data under the ATON agreement?
