Early AI researchers made 9 figures while ETH/BTC core devs earned $150k a year
menhguin · x · 2026-10-29
An industry comparison thread: early AI researchers reportedly made nine figures, while early core devs of BTC/ETH—among the most consequential software ever written—were paid around $150k a year. The author argues the gap makes sense: people pay for AI products daily to get real work done, whereas crypto is mostly bought for returns, so users are happier rewarding AI builders.
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