Over the last decade, two seismic waves have taken shape in the digital realm. On one hand, we have the cryptocurrency movement, championed by Bitcoin and its ideological siblings, seeking to redefine money and power structures. On the other, artificial intelligence (AI)—and especially its recent breakout star, generative AI (GenAI)—is slipping into our everyday lives, reshaping how we work, create, and interact. As Bitcoin edges toward a mythical $100,000 valuation, and AI quietly proliferates, a fascinating contrast emerges: Are we witnessing the technological upheaval crypto once promised, or are we seeing existing institutions reinforced by the subtle genius of AI? Bitcoin’s Institutional Crown—and Limited Utility For years, Bitcoin has been heralded as digital gold, a hedge against uncertainty and the ultimate “people’s money.” If it hits $100K, it will symbolically confirm its acceptance by the very institutions it once aimed to circumvent. Big players—banks, asset managers, and ...