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Tether CEO Warns AI Infrastructure Boom Is Bitcoin’s Biggest 2026 Risk

He expects fewer extreme selloffs given a larger base of long-term institutional holders.

Overview

  • Paolo Ardoino said on the Bitcoin Capital podcast that a reversal after heavy spending on GPUs, data centers and power could spill from equities into crypto in 2026.
  • He argued Bitcoin remains tied to broader risk appetite, leaving it exposed to an AI-led equity correction even if any impact on crypto proves secondary.
  • He highlighted tokenized real-world assets as the sector’s next growth driver, pointing to on-chain issuance of securities and commodities.
  • He criticized Europe’s MiCA regime as restrictive and noted that Tether’s refusal to align has prompted several European providers to delist USDT.
  • He warned against excessive institutional dominance and treasury-only strategies, urging firms to build operating businesses and citing Tether-backed Twenty One as an example.