Barry Silbert Backs Bittensor as AI Successor to Zcash
Barry Silbert, the founder of Digital Currency Group (DCG), has confirmed his focus on the decentralized artificial intelligence market, backing the Bittensor AI token ($TAO) as a direct continuation of the scarcity model behind privacy coins. According to U.today, Silbert responded affirmatively to a social media post comparing the fundamental properties of Bittensor and Zcash, effectively endorsing the view that the AI token is a successor to his previous long-term strategies.
The discussion was sparked by a widely shared thread in which analysts drew parallels between the two ecosystems. Silbert, who has been one of the main defenders of Zcash (ZEC) on Wall Street for years, sees Bittensor as the next asymmetric bet, comparing its current stage of development to the internet in 1997.
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Key facts
- Bittensor’s TAO token has a fixed supply capped at 21 million coins and includes regular halvings, mirroring the scarcity parameters of Bitcoin and Zcash, as reported by U.today.
- Silbert’s companies have been investing in Bittensor since 2021, and he has called it the most exciting project since Bitcoin.
- Silbert created and personally leads the subsidiary Yuma Group, which operates as a major validator and manages specialized funds for accredited investors.
- Grayscale Investments, also part of DCG, provides traditional markets with regulated access to Bittensor through its dedicated AI trust.
- Separately, Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, doubled down on claims that King Charles said “rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough” days after Diana’s death, as reported by Theguardian.
Silbert’s shift from Bitcoin to decentralized AI
Silbert has argued that Bitcoin has matured into a defensive asset no longer capable of delivering 100x–500x returns. In his view, Bittensor offers a new asymmetric opportunity because its miners compete in training and mutually evaluating real artificial intelligence models within competing subnets, rather than spending resources on abstract computations as in traditional proof-of-work networks.
The investor is backing his thesis by building commercial infrastructure around the ecosystem. Yuma Group, which he created specifically to work with Bittensor, operates as a major validator and manages specialized funds for accredited investors. Meanwhile, Grayscale Investments offers regulated exposure to the token through a dedicated AI trust. U.today notes that this mirrors the strategy Silbert used a decade ago, when his companies built financial gateways into Bitcoin and Zcash.
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Why it matters
Silbert’s public endorsement of Bittensor signals a growing institutional interest in decentralized AI tokens as a distinct asset class. For investors, the move highlights a potential shift away from mature cryptocurrencies toward early-stage networks that combine cryptographic scarcity with productive computation. In a separate story, Theguardian reported that Earl Spencer has doubled down on claims about a “monstrous” call with King Charles after Diana’s death, saying he is telling the truth despite Buckingham Palace suggesting his memory may have been clouded by grief. While unrelated to crypto, the story illustrates how high-profile figures continue to shape public discourse through personal accounts. For the crypto market, Silbert’s validation of Bittensor could encourage further infrastructure development and regulatory engagement as tokenized AI projects seek mainstream adoption.
What to watch
The next test for Silbert’s thesis will be how Bittensor’s subnet economy evolves and whether Grayscale’s AI trust attracts significant inflows from traditional investors. Also, Swan Song, Earl Spencer’s memoir, is due to be published worldwide next Tuesday, with further extracts serialized in the Daily Mail. For crypto followers, any regulatory guidance on AI tokens or new institutional products tied to Bittensor will be key.
This is not financial advice. The cryptocurrency market is volatile and uncertain, and prices can change rapidly.
Sources: U.Today, Theguardian
