Vitalik Buterin Wants AI to Slow Down, Backs Anti-Data Center Movement

Brief

By Dextape Desk · November 9, 2026

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sided with the anti-data center movement, saying he does not share the strong emotional backlash against it. In an X post dated Nov. 8, he argued that algorithmic progress means today's data centers will match what larger ones could achieve in two years within about four years or less, so even a major activist win would not be a disaster. He also said cybersecurity threats are already visible and bio risks may follow, so the world needs time to prepare. Because science faces many bottlenecks beyond AI, he added, a one-year delay would slow research far less. He stressed that his view does not rely on doomer claims about recursive self-improvement.

Why it matters: The argument ties AI pace to crypto market exposure, since Bitcoin miners renting power to AI labs depend on how quickly data center buildouts proceed.

Mentioned: Bitcoin, Ethereum

Summary by Dextape, based on reporting by BeInCrypto. Machine-written from BeInCrypto’s report and checked against it · How Dextape writes