Ethereum Co-Founder Warns of AI Control Risks by Major Tech Companies

According to Joseph Lubin, CEO of Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum, the next significant turning point for the crypto industry will be driven by artificial intelligence. In a recent interview, Lubin emphasized that autonomous agents can facilitate transactions, coordination, and verification on decentralized networks, leveraging crypto infrastructure for machine-driven activities. He expressed sympathy for the idea that blockchain technology is suited for machine intelligences but does not foresee humans being replaced. Instead, increasingly intelligent interfaces will simplify complexity, enabling users to interact with crypto systems through intent rather than manual inputs, with AI serving as an intermediary layer between people and protocols. However, Lubin cautioned that if AI infrastructure remains concentrated among a few large tech firms, it could pose significant risks. He stressed the importance of decentralized systems and cryptography in ensuring accountability and enabling machines to operate transparently and verifiably. As part of this broader shift, products like MetaMask are evolving to reflect the change. Lubin described the wallet as being rebuilt as a 'new kind of neobank that you own and control,' part of a transition toward a 'personal money operating system.' AI-powered agents could act on behalf of users, managing assets and executing transactions within a growing decentralized economy. Lubin also pointed to structural changes across the Ethereum ecosystem, including the rise of 'corporate chains' as companies seek higher throughput and greater control over their infrastructure. While he expects assets to be issued on Ethereum's base layer for durability, he noted that stablecoins are a 'stepping stone' toward more fully decentralized financial systems. On tokenization, Lubin suggested that traditional finance and decentralized finance are converging, combining centuries of financial innovation with newer blockchain-based systems to create a more granular and programmable global economy. Despite these shifts, Lubin adopted a measured tone on longer-term technical risks like quantum computing, stating that Ethereum developers have been preparing for years and see it as part of the natural evolution of Ethereum.