Vitalik Buterin Says He’s Betting 90% of His Net Worth Against an AI‑Driven Bitcoin Crash

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin publicly responded to an AI‑related Bitcoin price‑crash prediction, stating that he is on the opposite side of the wager and that roughly 90 % of his net worth is already aligned with that view.

Background of the wager

Angel investor Liron Shapira, host of the Doom Debates podcast, posted a claim on September 6 that he has a 50 % confidence level that Bitcoin (BTC) will lose more than 50 % of its value within the next two years because artificial intelligence could undermine the security guarantees people associate with the network.

Buterin’s response

Buterin replied the following day, saying he takes “the opposite side” of Shapira’s stance. He described the risk of a SHA‑256 or proof‑of‑work break as “tiny” and emphasized that Bitcoin can patch software‑level issues without requiring a hard fork or broad social consensus.

Risk categories according to Buterin

• Client and mining‑pool bugs: Issues that can be fixed by upgrading software and infrastructure.
• Network‑layer attacks: Problems that do not need a rule change and can be addressed by the community.
• Fundamental cryptographic breaks: A genuine break of SHA‑256 or proof‑of‑work would be extremely unlikely and would require a hard fork.

Implications for his holdings

Buterin clarified that his “90 %” figure does not represent a new bet but reflects that the majority of his assets—primarily Ethereum (ETH)—would be affected if an AI‑driven cryptographic breakthrough compromised both Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Current market context

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin was trading near $80,000, after a recent high of $82,239. Large‑holder activity showed net inflows of about 60,000 BTC in August, roughly offsetting outflows from smaller wallets.