Opinion: AI Bubble Bursts, Bitcoin and Other Risky Assets Are the First to Be Impacted
BIS Warns AI Investment Boom Could Trigger Market Stress, Impacting Bitcoin First
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) warns that a potential bursting of the "AI bubble" could tighten liquidity and severely impact risk assets like Bitcoin in the near term. Major tech firms are projected to spend over $1 trillion on AI infrastructure in 2025-2026. The BIS cautions that if returns fail to meet expectations, a sudden withdrawal of financing could turn this investment boom into a prolonged bust, creating ripple effects across financial markets.
While AI holds long-term economic promise, the current scale and speed of investment, coupled with intense competition and physical bottlenecks (e.g., semiconductors, power grids), mirror historical bubbles. The report highlights that the AI funding web—spanning corporate debt, private credit, and complex vendor agreements—makes systemic risks harder to see. A disappointment in AI adoption could transmit stress through this chain, widening credit spreads and pressuring weaker borrowers.
For Bitcoin, the initial reaction to such a market shock would likely be defensive. As liquidity tightens, investors typically sell liquid assets first, and Bitcoin often trades in line with other risk assets during portfolio de-risking. Recent correlations, like Bitcoin's drop following a sharp decline in South Korea's stock market, support this view.
However, the longer-term outcome for Bitcoin depends on the policy response. If an AI-driven credit crunch forces central banks to inject liquidity and ease policy eventually, it could reignite Bitcoin's narrative as a hedge against monetary debasement. Yet, traders betting on this outcome may first have to endure significant market volatility and potential price declines.
marsbit1h ago
