Crypto Talent Flocking to AI Research as Industry Faces Brain Drain

Sam Blackshear, the creator of Move and Sui's underlying programming language, has left Mysten Labs to join Anthropic for AI-related defensive security research. This move is part of a larger trend where key figures in the crypto industry are shifting their focus towards Artificial Intelligence.

Blackshear worked on Libra at Meta before joining Mysten Labs and co-founding Sui. His departure marks a significant loss for the project, as he was instrumental in designing Move's security features. The language has been used to create several high-profile blockchain projects, including Solana and Polkadot.

The crypto industry is facing a brain drain, with many top developers leaving their posts in recent months. This exodus is not limited to technical talent; some of the most influential figures in the industry are making the move to AI research. Tomasz Stańczak, co-executive director at the Ethereum Foundation, left his position after just over a year to pursue AI-related projects.

Other notable departures include Alex Atallah, who co-founded OpenSea and later started an AI model aggregation platform called OpenRouter; Leopold Aschenbrenner, who left FTX's future fund to start an AI investment firm; and Avital Balwit, who also departed from FTX to work with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

The data backs up the anecdotal evidence: according to Artemis analysis platform, crypto project GitHub contributions have plummeted by 75% since 2025. The number of active developers has decreased by over half, with some projects experiencing losses of up to 85%. In contrast, AI-related development on GitHub is on the rise.

While some attribute this shift to a decline in interest and economic incentives, others believe it's a natural evolution of the industry. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: the crypto landscape is undergoing significant changes, with key players making the move to AI research.