Could Bittensor Surpass Bitcoin as the Ultimate Store of Value? Barry Silbert’s Bold Prediction
In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital assets, Bittensor (TAO) has emerged as a contender challenging Bitcoin’s dominance as a store of value. Prominent investor Barry Silbert has publicly endorsed Bittensor’s potential, citing its unique decentralized machine learning infrastructure and tokenomics as key differentiators. While Bitcoin remains the market leader with its proven scarcity and security, Bittensor offers a novel value proposition by combining cryptographic principles with artificial intelligence. This perspective has sparked debates among crypto analysts about whether next-generation protocols like Bittensor could eventually outperform Bitcoin in preserving long-term value. The discussion touches on critical factors including network effects, technological innovation, and adoption curves in the blockchain space.
Will Bittensor’s Decentralized AI Model Outperform Bitcoin’s Legacy?
In a recent interview with Raoul Pal, Silbert highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the crypto sector. According to him, Bittensor is at the forefront of this revolution, representing the “next big era for crypto.”
“You had the Bitcoin and the Ethereum and the NFTs, and you had the layer 2s and DeFi. I think this is the next big investment theme for crypto,” Silbert stated.
He went on to explain that Bittensor shares the same pioneering spirit as early Bitcoin. Still, its purpose extends beyond financial sovereignty.
“The boldest prediction that I could make for Bittensor is it could be a better version of Bitcoin as a global store of value,” he claimed.
He argued that instead of the $10 to $12 billion spent annually to secure the Bitcoin network, that same amount could be redirected toward incentivizing a global network of individuals working to solve major world problems. He envisions this money fostering innovation on a massive scale, with the potential to grow into a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem.
While acknowledging the value of securing the Bitcoin network, Silbert emphasized that Bittensor’s potential lies in its ability to harness this vast financial backing to address real-world challenges.
He noted that Bittensor operates on a similar economic model to Bitcoin, with halving mechanisms and decentralization, positioning it as a powerful contender in the quest for a more impactful and value-driven global network.
Silbert also noted that while plenty of decentralized AI projects have emerged, Bittensor has set itself apart. He referred to it as having reached “escape velocity.” This term is used to convey a project’s rapid growth and increasing market influence.
“99.9% of crypto tokens that are out there have no reason to exist and are worthless,” he added.
Market data reflects the growing enthusiasm for Bittensor. Notably, amid the ongoing volatility, TAO has fared well in comparison to the broader market, rising 32.1% in the last week. At press time, the altcoin was trading at $328, up 7.2% over the past day.
Additionally, TAO is currently the top trending cryptocurrency on CoinGecko, underlining its rising popularity among investors. Google Trends data further proves the growing interest in Bittensor. The search volume peaked at 100 at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, the Bittensor ecosystem is also seeing notable progress. The latest data indicated that the market capitalization of Bittensor’s subnet tokens more than doubled in April 2025.
It increased by 166%, rising from $181 million at the beginning of April to $481 million at press time. As reported by BeInCrypto, this growth follows a tripling of active subnets over the past year.
