Crypto Firms Seek AI Labs’ Help to Combat Hacker Attacks

This week, more than 40 Bitcoin and crypto companies made an unusual appeal to the world’s leading AI laboratories. They’re not asking for donations or network access—instead, they’re requesting early access to the latest, most powerful AI models before they become publicly available. The reason is as simple as it is urgent: they want to use them to better protect their systems from hackers and cyberattacks.
A Desperate Plea to the AI Elite
The initiative is being coordinated by the nonprofit organization OpenSense, which specializes in closing security gaps in the crypto industry. “AI models can detect suspicious activity in real time and anticipate potential attacks before they cause damage,” explains an OpenSense spokesperson. Until now, these advanced systems have been almost exclusively reserved for major tech corporations or government institutions. For crypto firms—constant targets of hackers—access has been nearly impossible.
Among the signatories are not only industry giants like Coinbase, Ledger, and Bitfury but also smaller startups. All of them feel the growing pressure: attacks on crypto exchanges and digital wallets are becoming more frequent and sophisticated. According to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, hackers stole over $2.5 billion in crypto last year alone.
Why AI Could Be the Key to Security
Modern AI systems, especially those based on machine learning, can analyze suspicious transactions or unusual network activity in the blink of an eye. They identify patterns that human security teams often miss. Without access to these tools, many crypto companies are stu



ck relying on outdated defenses—a problem that’s only getting worse.
AI labs, including Mistral AI, Hugging Face, and the research divisions of Meta and Google, now face a tough decision. On one hand, sharing their models early could significantly improve security in the crypto world. On the other, there are valid concerns: what if the same AI tools are used by hackers to develop even more sophisticated attacks?
Privacy and Ethical Concerns
Another dilemma: who controls access to these AI models? The petition’s organizers emphasize that usage must be strictly regulated to prevent abuse. “This isn’t about releasing AI technology broadly—it’s about using it responsibly and selectively,” says one of the initiative’s leaders.
The AI labs’ reactions so far have been mixed. Some are open to collaboration but under strict conditions. Others point to existing partnerships with government agencies that take priority over private-sector cooperation.
A Race Against Time
The crypto industry feels the hackers’ breath on its neck. As attacks on digital assets grow more advanced, many companies lack the resources to defend themselves effectively. “If we don’t act now, in a few years we could be facing an even bigger security crisis,” warns a security expert from the Kraken crypto platform.
The petition to AI labs could be a first step in the right direction. But whether collaboration will happen remains uncertain. One thing is clear: the future of crypto security may soon be tightly linked to the development of artificial intelligence. And one has to wonder: will it be enough, and will it come in time?