Crypto Pioneer Warns AI Could Trigger Systemic Banking Shocks

A crypto pioneer's warning about AI is sending ripples through both industries: Marc van der Chijs says 'we have lost control' and warns that artificial intelligence could trigger systemic shocks in banking and infrastructure. The CoinDesk report arrives as the investor moves some profits back into crypto, giving his message added weight.

The context: from bitcoin to AI and back

Van der Chijs rose to prominence as co-founder of BTC China and as an early bitcoin investor. A few years ago, he sold a significant portion of his bitcoin to go all-in on artificial intelligence. Now, growing concerns about the technology have led him to reconsider his exposure and put some profits back into crypto.

The details: bitcoin sale, AI bet, and partial return

The investor confirmed he sold a significant chunk of his bitcoin to fund his AI venture, though he didn't disclose exact figures. According to CoinDesk, the move reflected his conviction that AI would be the next big tech wave. However, rising concerns over safety, power concentration, and systemic risk have prompted him to shift some profits back into crypto. In his statements, van der Chijs stresses that AI is advancing faster than control mechanisms and that banks and critical infrastructure aren't prepared for the shocks it could unleash.

Analysis: who wins and who loses from this warning

Van der Chijs's message isn't a nostalgic lament—it's a signal that sophisticated investors are reassessing AI risk. Winners are those diversifying across AI and crypto; losers are those concentrating everything in one tech bet without considering systemic risk. His warning also challenges the narrative that AI only brings efficiency: it can amplify vulnerabilities in banking and critical infrastructure.

Implications: toward a regulatory and investment debate

If figures like van der Chijs start talking about systemic shocks, regulators may accelerate AI oversight in finance, and investors may demand more transparency. It could also fuel renewed interest in decentralized assets as a hedge against centralized infrastructure failures. The question is no longer whether AI will transform banking, but who controls that process.

Van der Chijs's warning leaves an uncomfortable thought: if we've lost control of AI, who gets it back?

Source: CoinDesk