Gavin Wood Supports Acurast’s Decentralized Computing Revolution Driven by Smartphones

Acurast, a decentralized confidential computing initiative that utilizes smartphones, has secured $11 million in a recent funding round led by

co-founder Gavin Wood, MN Capital's Michael van de Poppe, GlueNet's Ogle, and several others . The platform, which seeks to convert everyday smartphones into secure computing nodes, revealed its mainnet launch date as November 17 and will debut its native token, ACU, at the same time . This milestone represents a notable advancement in decentralized computing, positioning smartphones as a practical substitute for conventional data centers in confidential processing tasks.

According to founder Alessandro De Carli, Acurast’s concept is based on the idea that billions of smartphones represent “the most thoroughly tested hardware worldwide.” By enabling confidential and verifiable computation on personal devices, the project aims to cut costs and remove middlemen from the data processing chain.

The network explorer indicates that nearly 150,000 smartphones are now part of the network, collectively handling over 494 million transactions and launching close to 94,200 services . De Carli highlighted that the platform delivers “secure, trustless computation for anyone, anywhere,” without the need for centralized systems .

Acurast’s security model is built on hardware-secured key pairs and attestation mechanisms to guarantee tamper-proof execution. While the development team acknowledges the inherent difficulties in ensuring confidentiality on devices they do not control, they contend that their approach reduces risks through comprehensive software verification. De Carli compared these safeguards to those used by banking applications to block unauthorized access, though Acurast’s methods are specifically adapted for mobile environments

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This funding round highlights the increasing momentum behind decentralized computing, a field that could make AI and other demanding applications more accessible. Acurast’s strategy reflects a broader movement in distributed ledger technology (DLT), where edge devices are being tapped for computational power. By transforming smartphones—a widespread but often idle resource—into secure computing units, the project seeks to lower entry barriers and address the environmental impact of energy-intensive data centers.

Although there are doubts about whether consumer devices can reliably handle confidential computing, Acurast’s early results point to a promising direction. The network’s current adoption and transaction figures serve as evidence of its potential, though questions about scalability and enduring security remain. Backers like Wood, a leading voice in blockchain, appear to recognize the promise in Acurast’s innovative approach to democratizing hardware and building decentralized infrastructure.

With the mainnet launch on the horizon, Acurast must balance technical reliability with user growth. If successful, the project could redefine how industries manage data privacy and allocate computational resources, especially where trustless execution is essential. For now, the $11 million investment and support from notable investors reflect strong belief in Acurast’s mission to make smartphones the foundation of a decentralized computing network.