According to a report by CoinDesk, Barry Silbert, the founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group (DCG), is heavily betting on decentralized artificial intelligence (DeAI), calling it the “next major era for cryptocurrencies” with potential influence even greater than Bitcoin (BTC).
In a letter to DCG shareholders, Silbert emphasized that DeAI represents the intersection of AI innovation and blockchain technology, which the cryptocurrency industry is driving. He believes that unlike the closed systems being developed by OpenAI and other tech giants, this technology integration will bring better benefits to humanity.
This development reminds Silbert of Bitcoin, which first brought him cryptocurrency wealth. However, unlike the monetary revolution brought by Bitcoin, DeAI may bring about a revolution of power, using cryptocurrency as a mechanism to distribute ownership and governance of powerful AI models.
DCG’s Investment in DeAI
DCG has already invested $105 million in over ten DeAI projects, and Silbert wrote, “We are excited to increase our investment in this area in 2025.”
He particularly highlighted DCG’s investment in Bittensor, a decentralized AI network for machine learning and AI applications, considering it the company in their portfolio closest to “escape velocity”. He also mentioned the similarities between Bittensor’s TAO token and Bitcoin.
In November of last year, DCG announced the establishment of a new subsidiary called Yuma to support and promote the development of the decentralized AI network Bittensor. In addition, their digital asset management company, Grayscale, launched a “decentralized AI” fund product for institutional investors last year.
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