SAN FRANCISCO, CA – As artificial intelligence races ahead, some crypto executives believe it could become the force that finally pushes blockchain infrastructure into widespread use. Others aren’t convinced the leap is so straightforward.

In a recent panel discussion at NEARCON 2026, Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley described AI as “an unstoppable freight train,” arguing that its pace of development is unlike anything crypto has experienced. “AI is accomplishing a quarter’s worth of roadmap every two weeks right now,” he said, suggesting that projections based on previous crypto adoption cycles may already be outdated. “You have to dump the last six years of data and cut it fresh from the last six months.”

For Horsley, the…