Crypto Billionaire Barry Silbert Is Betting Big on Decentralized AI Project Bittensor (TAO)

input: Crypto billionaire Barry Silbert is making headlines once again, this time with a bold declaration about the future of digital assets. According to Silbert, the next transformative wave in crypto will be driven by decentralized artificial intelligence (AI), and his vehicle of choice for this revolution is Bittensor (TAO).

Crypto billionaire Barry Silbert is known for his keen eye on the evolving landscape of digital assets. While many are focused on Web3, Silbert believes the next transformative wave will be driven by decentralized artificial intelligence (AI), and his vehicle of choice for this revolution is Bittensor (TAO).

As macroeconomic strategist Raoul Pal pointed out on the Real Vision YouTube channel, Silbert is stepping back into a more active leadership role to champion Bittensor through his new venture, Yuma.

This startup, launched last fall, is dedicated entirely to building, investing, and expanding the Bittensor ecosystem.

This interview marks a return to his entrepreneurial roots, as he’s taking a more hands-on role in a specific startup, rather than the broader investment strategy he usually adopts.

For those unfamiliar, Bittensor's architecture features smaller, independent units called subnets, each responsible for specific AI tasks. These subnets compete and collaborate in an open marketplace, with participants rewarded in TAO tokens based on the value of their AI contributions.

Silbert sees this decentralized structure as a game-changer for the future of AI, enabling innovation while addressing concerns about centralization and data monopolies that plague the current AI landscape.

He's aiming to replicate the same kind of success he had with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and blockchain infrastructure firms—this time with Bittensor. Through Yuma, Silbert plans to make strategic investments, build tools for easier development on the network, and foster wider public understanding of the protocol.

“We’re going to invest in it, we’re going to build on it, we’re going to help educate, create awareness, create access,” Silbert said.

“I launched a new business in the fall of last year called Yuma. I’m putting my jersey back on. I’m still running DCG, but I’m back in the game.”

Yuma has already begun developing an accelerator to help builders launch subnets on Bittensor more efficiently. This initiative aims to simplify the onboarding process for developers, allowing for faster innovation and increased adoption.

Silbert also expressed his interest in finding foundational projects within the Bittensor ecosystem that could play the same role as companies like Coinbase, Bitgo, or Chainalysis did for early crypto. These companies helped shape the infrastructure of the space, and Silbert hopes to identify and back similar players emerging within Bittensor's growing community.

The timing of this push into decentralized AI couldn't be more relevant. AI has been dominating headlines across the tech world, and integrating it with blockchain could unlock entirely new business models and technologies.

Silbert believes Bittensor has already reached a level of growth that sets it apart from the pack.

“There are a number of projects that have launched. We’ve backed a number of them. But the one that over the past year or year and a half that has reached escape velocity is Bittensor,” he noted.

With Bittensor's unique value proposition, growing developer interest, and a high-profile backer like Silbert leading the charge, the network could very well become a central player in the next era of blockchain innovation.

For now, Silbert's message is clear: the next big theme in crypto is decentralized AI, and Bittensor may be the project that defines it.