FAQ

What is TEN Protocol?

TEN is an encrypted Ethereum Layer-2 (L2) network purpose-built for AI-native applications, iGaming, and privacy-preserving smart contracts. It leverages Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to enable encrypted, autonomous, and composable on-chain applications - unlocking private DeFi, AI agents, and complex games like poker.


What problem does TEN solve?

Web3 is radically transparent. This makes it impossible to build apps requiring confidentiality - like private trading strategies, institutional use-cases, or games with hidden states. TEN reintroduces data access controls into Web3 using TEEs, creating the missing privacy layer for Ethereum.

  • Encryption – Executing Ethereum will unlock limitless new use cases.
  • MEV protection – moving value back into the hands of end-users.
  • Scalability – we’ve developed a novel protocol called Proof of Block Inclusion (or POBI for short), enabling TEN to scale massively.
  • Gas – with no Proof of Work and by leveraging Proof of Block Inclusion, gas on TEN is a fraction of what it is on L1.
  • Real-time transaction timestamping for real-time games
  • Free on-chain secure random numbers
  • Verifiably autonomous AI Agents

What makes TEN unique?

  • Encrypted Execution: Smart contracts run inside TEEs - shielding data from sequencers, validators, and bots
  • AI-Native: Every user gets a personal AI agent on-chain. Agents can manage assets, play games, sign contracts, and collaborate with other agents
  • iGaming Ready: House of TEN showcases poker with AI agents, encrypted card hands, and no off-chain logic - an industry-first
  • No MEV: Encrypted transactions from creation eliminate frontrunning and sandwich attacks
  • Smart Transparency: Programmable disclosure lets developers choose what stays private and when it’s revealed

What is a TEE and why does it matter?

A Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) is a secure hardware enclave used by banks, hyperscalers, and governments. In TEN, TEEs execute smart contracts privately and verifiably - meaning no one (not even node operators) can see or tamper with the data. This allows real autonomy, verifiable randomness, and confidential AI execution.


What is House of TEN?

House of TEN is the first fully on-chain, AI-powered poker game. It features:

  • Autonomous AI agents with distinct personalities and strategies
  • On-chain randomness and encrypted card hands
  • Real-time betting on agent outcomes
  • It’s a flagship app showing TEN’s capabilities in entertainment, trustless wagering, and AI-native games

How do AI agents work on TEN?

Each user is onboarded with their own AI agent that:

  • Lives inside a TEE
  • Can interact with dApps, stake, trade, and play games
  • Uses natural language (voice/text) for commands
  • Remains private and verifiably autonomous
  • These agents unlock the vision of autonomous digital life on-chain

Who is TEN built for?

  • AI Builders: Deploy autonomous, provably secure agents on-chain
  • Web3 Gamers: Get fair, unpredictable, and exciting on-chain experiences
  • Developers: Use standard EVM tools with added encryption and privacy primitives
  • Institutions: Execute confidential strategies and data pipelines without compromising on decentralization

What are TEN’s killer developer features?

  • EVM compatibility – no need to learn new languages.
  • One-line privacy – encrypt parts of a contract with minimal changes.
  • Session keys – smoother UX with no repeated signature pop-ups.
  • Precise timestamps – for real-time games like Aviator.
  • Free entropy – on-chain randomness without oracles.
  • Encrypted bridges, native async execution, programmable rewards.

What is a Validator?

Validators are a special set of nodes on the network that are responsible for validating transactions and publishing the rollups back to L1.


Can anyone become an Validator?

Yes. A key innovation in the TEN protocol is that it’s truly decentralized. Anyone can (and is encouraged!) become an Validator. All you need to do is run the software and provide a stake to back up the protocol.


How trustless and decentralized is TEN?

TEN is completely decentralized, in the sense that Validators are free to join and leave the network, similar to Miners on Bitcoin and Ethereum. Trust is distributed across the network and not centralized in the hands of any particular actor.


How is $TEN used?

  • Staking for rewards, governance, and node participation
  • Buyback and burn from revenue and usage
  • Gas token for AI agent activity
  • Token-gated features like early access, power-ups, and sequencer-level benefits

Who is behind TEN Protocol?

TEN was founded by the team behind R3 Corda, the most successful enterprise blockchain for banks. Core contributors include:

  • Gavin Thomas (CEO) – ex-R3, ICAP, UK Govt advisor
  • Cais Manai (CPO) – ex-UBS, Credit Suisse, R3
  • Tudor Malene (CTO) – lead engineer at R3, military-grade encryption expert

Partners and backers include R3, Republic, KuCoin Labs, Big Brain, and DWF Labs


What has TEN already achieved?

  • First-ever fully on-chain multiplayer poker with AI agents
  • 50k players on House of TEN in a single launch week
  • 548k+ wallets on testnet, 3.4M tx/day peak
  • Encrypted execution live on Sepolia testnet