Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, has predicted that Ethereum (ETH) might lose its position among the top three cryptocurrencies by 2030, potentially being overtaken by assets focused on artificial intelligence (AI). This forecast has reignited debates about whether AI tokens could reshape the crypto market hierarchy.
AI Tokens Poised to Challenge Ethereum's Dominance
Hayes argued that as AI technology advances rapidly, blockchain projects dedicated to AI will capture significant value in the coming years. While Ethereum currently dominates smart contracts, competition from high-performance blockchains and AI-specific chains may erode its advantages. By 2030, AI coin market caps could surpass ETH to enter the top three, though Hayes did not specify which projects would lead.
UK Government Eyes Anthropic's Claude Mythos for Banks
In other news, the UK government is negotiating with AI company Anthropic to deploy its Claude Mythos cybersecurity model across major UK banks and financial institutions. This move aims to enhance the financial system's resilience against sophisticated cyber threats using advanced AI. If successful, Anthropic's model would become a key component of UK regulatory technology infrastructure.
Mantle Proposes 30,000 ETH Loan to Aave DAO
Meanwhile, the Mantle core team has proposed lending 30,000 ETH (approximately $66 million) from its treasury to Aave DAO to cover bad debts resulting from a recent $292 million rsETH cross-chain bridge attack. The proposal seeks to replenish Aave's liquidity and ease the financial strain caused by the hack. It is currently under community discussion and requires a vote from Aave DAO to be executed. Following the news, AAVE token rose 1.34%, ETH gained 1.46%, and MNT edged up 0.15%.
These developments highlight the growing intersection of AI and crypto, while testing the resilience of DeFi ecosystems in 2026.