How does AI infrastructure work? Analysis of TAC protocol architecture and decentralized execution mechanism.

On July 1, 2026, the crypto market continued to consolidate in a weak pattern. Bitcoin fell below the psychological $60,000 level; CME futures were at $58,665 and spot was at $59,500, down 2.78% over 24 hours. Ethereum also lost the $1,600 level, trading at $1,575 and down 2.94%. The Fear and Greed Index fell to the 12–16 range, its lowest level in 8 months. The market was in extreme panic. Total market capitalization held between $1.96 trillion and $2.01 trillion. Bitcoin’s market dominance rose to 57.96%, as funds continued to concentrate into leading assets.

Against the backdrop of an overall sluggish market, TAC (TAC Protocol) became one of the few assets that rose against the trend. According to Gate market data, TAC is currently quoted at about $0.06252, up 5.06% over 24 hours, with a market cap of about $291.84 million, ranking 215th. On June 30, within 24 hours, TAC’s intraday high reached $0.06688, setting a new all-time high. Bitrue analysis pointed out that before the v1.6.0 mainnet upgrade announcement, TAC’s price had already increased by more than 126% in total. The market interpreted this as a key milestone in TAC moving from the “proof of concept” stage to the “production-ready” stage.

Meanwhile, the AI narrative remains one of the few bright spots in the market. DeepSeek V4 was released in mid-July, and the gap between open-source and closed-source models has narrowed to 3 to 6 months. The open-source F4 model matrix—DeepSeek V4 Flash, GLM 5.2, MiniMax M3, Nemotron—has been becoming an important variable in the AI infrastructure layer. In Web3, discussions on decentralized AI infrastructure are shifting from proof of concept to architectural implementation. As the EVM execution layer of the Telegram ecosystem, the TAC protocol provides a complete technical path from the user entry point to smart contract execution.

Understanding TAC’s protocol architecture and execution mechanism is directly relevant for grasping how decentralized AI infrastructure works and how Web3 computing networks coordinate resources.

TAC Protocol Positioning: The EVM Execution Layer for the Telegram Ecosystem

TAC is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain built specifically for the Telegram and TON ecosystem, constructed on the Cosmos SDK. Its core positioning is to serve as Telegram’s EVM execution layer, enabling TON users to access Ethereum ecosystem DeFi, assets, and liquidity directly without switching wallets or learning new cross-chain processes. TAC allows Ethereum dApps to be seamlessly deployed on TON, reaching more than 1 billion users in the Telegram ecosystem.

From an architectural perspective, TAC’s core components are the TON Adapter, the Sequencer Network, the TAC EVM Layer, and the Hybrid dApp. The goal of this structure is not to build an independent DeFi ecosystem, but rather to connect Telegram’s roughly 1 billion monthly active users with the Ethereum application ecosystem.

From the perspective of a functional token, the TAC token performs the foundational settlement function of the EVM execution layer—Gas payment, verification network staking, governance participation, ecosystem incentives, and economic settlement in cross-chain execution are all carried out by the TAC token system. TAC’s positioning means it is not merely a payment asset for end users, but an infrastructure token that supports the underlying execution environment.

Core Architecture Breakdown: Four Layers of Components and the Execution Path

TAC’s protocol architecture can be broken down into four core layers, each with a clear functional division.

TON Adapter—The Cross-Chain Message Hub. The TON Adapter is the central component for TAC cross-chain messages. It is responsible for application-level message passing, verification, and coordination between TON and the TAC EVM Layer. Unlike traditional cross-chain bridges that only transfer assets, the TON Adapter is a messaging system designed for application interaction and EVM contract calls. After users initiate a request from a TON wallet or the Telegram app, the TON Adapter receives the message, passes it to the distributed Sequencer Network for processing, and after validation based on the message content, signatures, and state, routes the valid messages to the TAC EVM Layer.

Sequencer Network—The Consensus and Ordering Layer. The Sequencer Network is the verification and ordering layer for TAC cross-chain execution. It specifically processes messages from the TON Adapter to ensure they are correctly ordered before entering the TAC EVM Layer. Multiple Sequencers simultaneously detect cross-chain events and independently initiate verification processes to ensure message integrity. The Sequencer Network uses a grouping mechanism to enhance security: each group must reach 3/5 internal consensus before it can submit a Merkle tree to the network. Different groups must submit the same Merkle tree to enable cross-group verification, preventing any single group from manipulating the message flow.

TAC EVM Layer—The Contract Execution Environment. The TAC EVM Layer is responsible for executing Solidity contracts. Developers can continue to use mainstream EVM toolchains such as Solidity, Hardhat, and Remix, while also reaching the Telegram user ecosystem. When a Hybrid dApp executes a Solidity contract in TAC’s EVM, it must pay the corresponding Gas cost, which is settled through the TAC token system.

Hybrid dApp—The User Entry Point. The Hybrid dApp is TAC’s core application model that combines a Telegram front end with an EVM back end. After users initiate actions via a Telegram Mini App or a TON wallet, the Hybrid dApp converts requests into cross-chain messages that can be processed via the TAC SDK. After processing by the TON Adapter and Sequencer Network, the messages are delivered to the EVM layer for execution.

The coordination of the four layers forms TAC’s complete execution path: user initiates an action → the Hybrid dApp generates a cross-chain message → the TON Adapter receives and verifies it → the Sequencer Network reaches ordering consensus → the TAC EVM Layer executes the contract → results are sent back to the user.

Cross-Chain Message System: The Protocol Basis for Data Input and Model Calls

Cross-chain messages are the fundamental mechanism by which TAC realizes Hybrid dApps. They convert user actions on the TON side into instructions that the TAC EVM Layer can understand and execute. For AI application scenarios, the cross-chain message system carries the core functions of data input and model calling—user instructions, model parameters, and inference requests are all completed through this message channel for transfer from TON to the EVM execution layer.

TAC documentation divides the lifecycle of cross-chain messages into three main stages: initiation (user behavior), processing (verification and consensus), and execution (target chain operations).

Message Creation. When users submit an operation on the front end (such as calling a DeFi contract or executing an application task), the Hybrid dApp creates a message containing the user’s intent, the target contract, and execution parameters. The message structure includes fields such as a timestamp, target contract address, method signature, encoded parameters, caller address, tokens to be minted, and tokens to be unlocked.

Verification and Consensus. The TON Adapter and Sequencer Network jointly verify the message source, format, and execution conditions. After verification passes, the Sequencer compiles the transaction into a Merkle tree, submits it to the network after intra-group consensus and cross-group verification.

Execution and Return. Verified messages are sent to the TAC EVM Layer to trigger the corresponding Solidity contract. The execution results are recorded on-chain, including return messages or asset operations. For operations that require results to be returned to TON, the EVM proxy contract creates a return message; after verification by the same Sequencer Network, it is executed on the TON side.

The design of this message system gives data input and model calls verifiability—each cross-chain operation is accompanied by cryptographic proof, and any third party can independently verify whether the message is included in the Merkle tree approved by consensus.

Decentralized Computing Logic: Resource Coordination and Execution Verification

TAC’s decentralized computing logic is built on the distributed verification architecture of the Sequencer Network. Currently, the Sequencer Network is in a distributed stage but has not yet fully decentralized; full decentralization is included in the roadmap.

From a resource coordination perspective, the TAC protocol layer achieves effective scheduling of computing resources through the following mechanisms:

Staking Economic Model. Validators must stake TAC tokens to obtain verification eligibility. Delegators can delegate tokens to validators to indirectly participate in network security. Each Sequencer group must maintain collateral above a minimum threshold set by DAO governance. While the size of collateral does not affect voting weight, it affects profitability and provides economic security. Expected annualized returns for delegated staking are about 8% to 10%.

Multi-Layer Consensus. A 3/5 internal consensus is required within each Sequencer group, while cross-group verification requires verifying the same Merkle tree. This design prevents single points of failure and single-group manipulation, giving message verification redundancy and anti-attack capabilities.

Execution Verification. The CrossChainLayer contract verifies whether a sufficient number of Sequencer groups have submitted matching Merkle trees. After verification passes, token minting or unlocking operations are executed, and then the target EVM proxy contract is called.

Economic Penalty Mechanism. Rule-violating or malfunctioning behavior faces penalties. Staked tokens act as an economic security constraint; the more fully validators stake, the higher the network’s economic security threshold.

From the perspective of AI infrastructure, the implication of this logic is: the TAC protocol layer provides a verifiable execution environment—every call to an AI model and every inference request comes with cryptographic proof of cross-chain consensus. This creates a structural difference from the “black box” execution of centralized APIs.

How the Protocol Layer Coordinates Resources: Full-Chain Scheduling from Gas to Cross-Chain Execution

TAC’s protocol layer resource coordination mechanism can be summarized across three dimensions:

Economic Dimension Coordination—Gas Mechanism. The TAC Gas mechanism provides fee settlement for EVM contract execution. Demand for TAC tokens is directly linked to network usage: as Hybrid dApp call frequency increases, the number of EVM contract executions increases, and the need for Gas payments expands accordingly. The Gas mechanism incorporates Telegram app usage, TON cross-chain interactions, and EVM execution activities into a single economic model.

Security Dimension Coordination—Staking and Verification. Validators stake TAC tokens to obtain verification eligibility, while delegators participate in network security through delegation. The verification network is responsible for cross-chain message processing, block production, and state updates. The stability of the verification mechanism directly impacts message execution, state confirmation, and user asset security.

Governance Dimension Coordination—Protocol Parameters and Resource Allocation. The TAC governance mechanism focuses on protocol upgrades, ecosystem incentives, treasury resources, and network parameters. Token holders participate in network rules and resource allocation through governance. Governance outcomes may influence the direction of ecosystem incentives, how the treasury is used, adjustments to protocol parameters, and the priority of application support.

Around 12:00 UTC on June 30, 2026, TAC completed the v1.6.0 mainnet upgrade. This upgrade introduced major EVM, Cosmos SDK, and security improvements, making TAC more attractive to developers and DeFi applications. Upgrade items include rebuilding the Ethereum compatibility layer, adding Ethereum standards updates such as EIP-7702, and correcting inflation settings where token issuance previously exceeded the target value. The introduction of EIP-7702 means TAC’s EVM layer will support more advanced Ethereum features such as account abstraction. For developers who want to deploy complex DeFi applications within the Telegram ecosystem, this reduces technical adaptation costs.

From the perspective of protocol evolution, the v1.6.0 upgrade signals TAC’s continued maturation in EVM compatibility, cross-chain security, and developer toolchain layers.

Structural Examination of Market Performance and On-Chain Data

The v1.6.0 mainnet upgrade was the most core technical catalyst behind this price movement. Bitrue analysis noted that before the upgrade announcement was released, TAC’s price had already risen by more than 126%. The market interpreted this as a key milestone in TAC’s transition from the “proof of concept” phase to the “production-ready” phase.

Beyond the mainnet upgrade, another event on June 30 also triggered a concentrated market reaction. According to CoinMarketCap community analysis, a cross-chain bridge transfer moved approximately 163 million TAC tokens from TAC’s native chain to BSC. Such a large-scale cross-chain movement quickly attracted attention among active traders—daily trading activity surged by more than 2,200%, and Binance alone carried over $550 million in spot trading volume.

From a market structure perspective, large cross-chain transfers are often interpreted as signals of liquidity migration or market maker positioning. Combined with the timing of the v1.6.0 upgrade, this transfer behavior may reflect the market participants’ early pricing of liquidity expectations for TAC in the BSC ecosystem after the upgrade. TAC’s current 24-hour price range is $0.05625 (low) to $0.06688 (high). The RSI indicator reached 92.87 on June 30, placing it in an extremely overbought range.

However, there is a significant gap between the strength of the price increase and actual on-chain usage data. According to DefiLlama data cited by Foresight News, TAC chain’s 24-hour on-chain fees were approximately $161; there were only 84 daily active addresses; DEX trading volume was about $40,000; and TVL was about $1.65 million. Compared with early-stage data from when the mainnet went live, this discrepancy is even more pronounced. In August 2025, the Summoning Campaign launched jointly by TAC and Turtle Club drove liquidity through points and airdrop incentives, and TVL temporarily reached a peak of about $210 million. After incentives ended, TVL continued to decline and, by the end of June 2026, had fallen to about $1.65 million.

According to historical data from the Blockscout block explorer, within 385 days since TAC chain’s self-launched mainnet, cumulative Gas consumption was approximately 281,600 TAC.

These data reveal a core contradiction: TAC’s Telegram billion-user narrative has accumulated substantial expectations at the price level, but the on-chain execution layer has not yet formed a sustainable conversion of that expectation into real traffic. The ratio of $161 in daily on-chain fees to a market cap of about $290 million suggests that the current price is driven mainly by narrative expectations and short-term catalysts, rather than real output from on-chain economic activity.

Risk Factors and Subsequent Observations

TAC’s historical price trajectory includes significant risk events. On May 11, 2026, the TON-TAC cross-chain bridge suffered an attack, with total protocol losses of approximately $2.854 million. The attack caused TAC’s price to swing with a 40.1% amplitude within 24 hours, with the low reaching $0.01687. Although the TAC Foundation resumed cross-chain services on June 10 and committed to covering all user losses with its own funds, the incident exposed inherent risks in cross-chain infrastructure from a security standpoint.

From a technical analysis perspective, TAC’s rapid rise is also accompanied by overbought signals. CoinMarketCap data shows that at the price high on June 30, TAC’s RSI indicator reached 92.87, placing it in an extremely overbought range. This means there is objectively short-term pullback pressure.

For market participants, key indicators to monitor going forward include: actual developer adoption of the EVM compatibility layer after the v1.6.0 upgrade, whether TVL shows a trend of recovery, and whether cross-chain message volume can grow from its current low level.

Conclusion

The proposition of decentralized AI infrastructure is, in essence, an engineering question of “how to make computation verifiable, coordinatable, and incentivizable.” The TAC protocol provides a technical path from the Telegram user entry point to EVM smart contract execution. Its value does not lie in innovation of any single component, but in the orderly coordination of the four components: the TON Adapter, the Sequencer Network, the EVM execution layer, and the Hybrid dApp.

Against the backdrop of Bitcoin falling below $60,000 and the market being in extreme fear, the AI narrative remains one of the few tracks that still maintains market attention. But narratives ultimately must materialize into verifiable execution architectures. TAC’s cross-chain message system, multi-layer consensus mechanism, and staking economic model form an actionable example of resource coordination in Web3 computing networks.

TAC’s price increase from June 30 to July 1 results from the combined effect of the v1.6.0 mainnet upgrade as a technical catalyst and a large cross-chain transfer as a liquidity signal. The “Telegram billion-user entry” narrative provides room for valuation imagination, but daily average fees on-chain of less than $200 and TVL of about $1.65 million indicate that the transition from narrative to actual adoption is still in its early stage.

For investors and developers who care about decentralized AI infrastructure, understanding how TAC enables cross-chain message verification, EVM contract execution, and computing resource scheduling through the protocol layer is the foundational prerequisite for assessing the long-term value of this track. Only when open-source models and decentralized execution layers intersect in technical maturity can Web3 computing networks move from concept to large-scale practical applications.

FAQ

What is the difference between the TAC protocol and traditional cross-chain bridges?

The TON Adapter is not a cross-chain bridge that only transfers assets; it is a messaging system designed specifically for application interactions and EVM contract calls. It transmits, verifies, and coordinates application-level messages between TON and the TAC EVM, allowing TON users to directly call Solidity contracts within the Telegram environment.

How does the consensus mechanism of the Sequencer Network work?

The Sequencer Network uses a grouped consensus mechanism. Each Sequencer group must reach 3/5 internal consensus, and different groups must submit the same Merkle tree to enable cross-group verification. This design prevents single points of failure and single-group manipulation, ensuring secure execution of cross-chain messages.

How does TAC support AI task execution?

TAC carries AI task data input and model calls through its cross-chain message system. User instructions, model parameters, and inference requests are transmitted from TON to the TAC EVM Layer via cross-chain messages for execution. Execution results include cryptographic proofs of cross-chain consensus, enabling verifiable AI inference.

What changes did the TAC v1.6.0 upgrade bring?

The v1.6.0 mainnet upgrade was completed around 12:00 UTC on June 30, 2026. It introduced major EVM, Cosmos SDK, and security improvements. The upgrade includes the introduction of Ethereum standards such as EIP-7702, making TAC more attractive to developers and DeFi applications.

What core functions does the TAC token perform in the network?

The TAC token performs Gas payment for the EVM execution layer, verification network staking, governance participation, ecosystem incentives, and cross-chain economic settlement. Token demand is directly linked to network usage— the higher the frequency of Hybrid dApp calls, the greater the Gas payment demand.