Ethereum Co-Founder Joseph Lubin Highlights the Risks of AI Control by Major Tech Companies

According to Joseph Lubin, CEO of Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum, the next significant milestone in the crypto space will be driven by artificial intelligence. In a recent interview, Lubin emphasized that autonomous agents can engage in transactions, coordinate, and verify each other on decentralized networks, leveraging crypto infrastructure as the foundation for machine-driven activities. Lubin, who is set to speak at Consensus Miami 2026, expressed his support for the idea that blockchain technology is suited for machine intelligences but does not envision humans being replaced. Instead, he predicts that increasingly sophisticated interfaces will simplify complexity, enabling users to interact with crypto systems through intent rather than manual inputs, with AI serving as the intermediary layer between people and protocols. However, this vision also carries risks, as Lubin warned that if AI infrastructure remains concentrated among a few large tech firms, it could lead to trouble. He stressed the importance of decentralized systems and cryptography in ensuring accountability and enabling machines to verify each other in transparent environments. The evolution of products like MetaMask reflects this shift, with Lubin describing it as a new kind of neobank that users own and control, part of a transition toward a personal money operating system. AI-powered agents could manage assets, execute transactions, and navigate the growing decentralized economy on behalf of users. Lubin also discussed the rise of corporate chains on Ethereum, expecting companies to seek higher throughput and greater control over their infrastructure. He emphasized that assets are best issued on Ethereum's base layer to ensure durability. Stablecoins are seen as a stepping stone toward more decentralized financial systems, and Lubin anticipates growth in decentralized collateral to enable more robust, crypto-native forms of money. On tokenization, he 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. While addressing longer-term technical risks like quantum computing, Lubin adopted a measured tone, stating that Ethereum developers have been preparing for years and view it as part of the natural evolution of Ethereum.