Peter Schiff, one of Bitcoin's most vocal skeptics, said he could have made a lot of money with the asset — but he insists the people who held it left even more on the table by not selling. Schiff hasn't owned Bitcoin for about five years and says he doesn't regret it. He also believes he's been better off without it, and he's now pointing at artificial intelligence as the bigger threat to Bitcoin than any boost.
Money left on the table
Schiff's latest comments are a sharp jab at the buy-and-hold crowd. He acknowledged he could have profited from Bitcoin, but his real point is that HODLers missed their chance to cash out. He's not bitter about the run he sat out — he says he's better off not owning the token over the last half-decade. That's a consistent line from someone who's spent years calling Bitcoin a bubble.
AI as the second enemy
Schiff argues AI is a bigger threat to Bitcoin than a boost. He points to competition for speculative capital, electricity, and data center space — all resources that AI and Bitcoin mining need. He also warned that AI could eventually find flaws in Bitcoin's code or cryptography. That's a speculative claim, but it's one that carries weight given the pace of AI development.
Inflation pressure
BeInCrypto reported that AI-driven inflation pressure has helped keep Bitcoin range-bound in recent months. That lines up with Schiff's argument: if AI is sucking up capital and pushing up energy costs, Bitcoin's upside stays limited. It's a concrete explanation for the sideways action, though not the only one. Schiff's framing makes the AI competition sound like a live issue, not a distant one.
Unresolved risk
Whether AI actually poses a genuine security risk to Bitcoin remains unclear. No one has shown a real exploit yet, and Schiff's warning is speculative. But his point about resource competition is harder to dismiss. The next few months could test that idea as AI demand keeps climbing.
