Tether CEO: AI Bubble Is Bitcoin’s Biggest Risk in 2026

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• Tether’s CEO warns an AI bubble could pose Bitcoin’s biggest risk in 2026.
• He says Bitcoin may suffer if global markets tumble when AI hype unwinds.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized that the artificial intelligence (AI) bubble has the potential to be the biggest risk to the crypto market in 2026. He believes the massive investment boom in the AI ​​sector, particularly for infrastructure development and computing technology, could trigger an excessive surge in valuations.

Should the AI rush crack and the sector stumble, the shock could spill into the crypto market, which still moves within the wider global financial web.

When AI Hype Fades, Bitcoin Could Feel the Shock

According to Ardoino, if the AI ​​euphoria ever subsides and the technology market experiences a major correction, this pressure could also drag down the crypto market. This is because Bitcoin is currently closely tied to global financial market behavior and the movement of technology assets. On the other hand, institutional investors typically tighten their risk exposure when sentiment weakens. Therefore, it is not surprising that Bitcoin will feel the impact when the AI ​​sector falters.

However, he did not describe a scenario of a major collapse. His tone was more about caution regarding external factors outside the crypto industry itself.

In the market, talk of a potential AI bubble is becoming increasingly frequent. Many believe the sector’s valuation has moved too rapidly. Bitcoin is also finally being placed in a broader context, as it is now considered not just a crypto asset but also part of the interconnected global digital economic landscape.

Not only that, the rapid development of AI has resulted in a lot of capital circulating there, so a sharp correction could trigger a chain effect on other assets. Under such conditions, Bitcoin’s resilience will once again be tested as an asset often considered strong, yet still alive to global market dynamics.

On December 18, we reported that selling pressure from long-term Bitcoin holders was approaching saturation, according to K33 Research, with the two-year supply potentially stabilizing or even increasing as distribution slows.

Then, on December 15, we also highlighted that demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum crypto ETFs has now matched or even exceeded the new circulating supply, reflecting a shift in ownership from weak to stronger holders.

On the other hand, turning to the AI ​​sector, on July 20, we reported that NEAR introduced DCML as a more private, verifiable, and truly user-owned approach to AI. This technology enables AI processing to take place securely through trusted enclaves, allowing users to privately fine-tune, verify results, and derive economic benefits from models without losing control of the data.

As of press time, BTC is trading at about $87,789, slightly up 0.67% over the last 4 hours and 1.26% over the last 7 days.