Bitwise, a leading U.S. Bitcoin ETF issuer, has predicted that the combined impact of the cryptocurrency industry and artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly contribute to the global GDP, projected to reach $20 trillion by 2030. This forecast was made at the annual Consensus conference in Austin, where industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of blockchain, regulation, and AI.

The conference highlighted the emerging collaboration between Bitcoin mining and AI, with Bitcoin miners poised to address the shortage of data centers essential for AI development. The rapid growth of AI has led to an increased demand for data centers and AI chips, with major cloud companies projected to spend nearly $200 billion on data center expansions in 2025 alone.

The integration of AI and crypto holds significant potential beyond immediate applications in data storage and processing. Public blockchains offer a solution to concerns about authenticity and bias in content creation, providing a verifiable ledger for digital content. Additionally, the combination of AI assistants with smart contracts and digital currencies like Bitcoin could enhance the functionality of virtual assistants, enabling secure and complex transactions.

Industry estimates suggest that AI and crypto could add $15.7 trillion and $1.8 trillion to the global economy by 2030, respectively. However, the synergistic effect of their integration could drive this combined value to $20 trillion or beyond. The collaboration between Bitcoin mining and AI has already led to significant investments, with CoreWeave proposing to acquire Bitcoin miner Core Scientific for $1.6 billion.

The long-term potential of AI and crypto integration is substantial, with possibilities extending to information validation, digital content authenticity, and enhanced virtual assistant functionality. As the industry continues to evolve, the combined impact of cryptocurrency and AI is expected to make a significant contribution to the global GDP.