Sam Altman Thinks Your PC’s RAM Belongs in AI Data Centers. Crypto Leaders Disagree

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson and Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz publicly mocked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over Altman’s argument that memory in home computers is wasted because it is used only about 5% of the time while AI data centers keep it busy. Hoskinson posted a meme on Nov. 1, 2026, saying he uses 64GB of RAM for a 1999 theme-park game, and Schwartz posted on Nov. 2 that Altman could take his RAM only by force. The dispute matters because the XRP Ledger and Cardano rely on independent node operators whose hardware costs affect network security; Hoskinson’s figure matches the XRP Ledger’s recommended 64GB, while Cardano lists up to 24GB for a mainnet stake pool.