Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has supported the movement against data center construction and called for a deliberate slowdown in the growth of computing power. In his assessment, a pause would give the industry and society time to prepare for risks associated with artificial intelligence—from cyberattacks to biosecurity threats.
The timing here is critical for markets. The capitalization of AI chip manufacturers and Bitcoin miners leasing capacity to AI labs directly depends on the pace of data center infrastructure expansion.
Buterin's logic: pace matters more than the fact of construction itself
On November 8, Buterin stated that he does not share the heated emotional reaction to activists opposing data centers. His argument is built on the dynamics of algorithm development: if larger data centers could handle tasks in two years, current ones could complete them in four years—and possibly faster.
Even if activists succeed, no catastrophe will occur, believes the Ethereum co-founder. Cybersecurity problems are already evident, and biosecurity risks may emerge in the near future—every delay matters for preparation.
Buterin adds that science is not slowed only by AI: a one-year delay in AI development will slow scientific progress far less. Such conclusions do not require catastrophic scenarios with "recursive self-improvement" (RSI), where AI accelerates its own development.
The post fits into a series of Buterin's recent warnings. At Devcon 8, he said that AI could undermine crypto security by finding weaknesses in cryptography.
Who will suffer if AI deployment slows down
The anti-data center movement has grown beyond protests and reached the policy level. Senator Bernie Sanders called for a national moratorium on data center construction after Democrats won Congress. In Europe, several hundred activists occupied a Microsoft construction site in Amsterdam on November 6—detentions affected 150–200 people.
Not everyone agrees with Buterin's position. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink warned that freezing data center construction would lead the US economy into recession.
Bitcoin miners are also at risk. Riot Platforms sold most of its Bitcoin to finance AI data centers in Texas, and the state's new governor promised to suspend permit issuance. Nevertheless, Buterin believes: even if activists cause more harm than good, it will not be worse than other political conflicts. For AI-related assets, the debate is now not about the possibility of construction itself, but about its pace.
Cryptalist analysis: Buterin's statement reinforces the narrative of regulatory and public pressure on AI infrastructure, which creates two-sided risk for chipmaker stocks and diversified miners. For the crypto market, the key signal remains the potential vulnerability of cryptography to AI—a factor that could accelerate interest in post-quantum solutions and increase volatility in the infrastructure token segment.