ZK Proofs Could Help DePINs Compete as AI Capex Eyes $7.6T by 2031

A Goldman Sachs report forecasts a $7.6 trillion AI capital spending baseline by 2031, with costs highly dependent on whether AI chips remain useful beyond three years. Industry voices from StealthEX and Cysic say DePINs can cut GPU costs but face internet latency limits, making them better suited to batch jobs unless verifiability improves via TEEs and ZK attestations. They also point to onchain credit platforms like Maple and Centrifuge as potential lenders for $5M–$50M data center deals, though legal, oracle, and regulatory hurdles remain.