Ethereum outperforms AI hardware assets by 55 percentage points in one month

Ethereum (ETH) is highlighted as outperforming AI hardware-related assets by 55 percentage points over the past month, driven by a growing thesis that ETH could serve as the infrastructure and settlement layer for an AI-driven economy. Fundstrat’s Tom Lee argues autonomous AI agents will need a neutral, programmable payment rail, positioning Ethereum as a key beneficiary beyond the chipmakers powering AI compute. The article also notes rising institutional interest via spot ETH ETF inflows, with BlackRock’s ETHA specifically mentioned. Competitive risks remain, as Solana, Layer 2 networks, and purpose-built AI chains are also competing for the same role. Separately, the article notes U.S. officials could sanction China over AI model theft, underscoring broader tech rivalry and potential regulatory spillovers, but the main market takeaway is strengthening narrative and capital flows into ETH as an AI-linked asset.