Bitcoin Mining and AI Are Taking Opposite Paths to Decentralization, Researcher Says

Bitcoin mining was initially accessible through personal computers, but growing competition for computing power, the rise of specialized ASIC miners and higher energy costs gradually shifted control toward large mining operations and pools. Galaxy Research says this industrialization has concentrated computing power and capital, with consequences for the Bitcoin network’s censorship resistance and degree of decentralization.

Galaxy Research head of research Alex Thorn recently said Bitcoin mining is moving toward greater centralization, while AI could evolve in the opposite direction. AI is currently dominated by large companies and data centers, but open-source models and Edge AI could move inference onto personal devices. The report did not disclose the research’s publication date or cite any specific monetary figures.