BlackRock CEO Larry Fink (래리 핑크) warned that the United States could fall into recession if construction of artificial intelligence data centres is blocked in the country.

On Oct. 15 local time, blockchain outlet Decrypt reported that he told CNBC that halting data-centre investment underpinning the AI boom could deliver a major shock to the U.S. economy.

Fink said, "If there is a debt moratorium, the United States will fall into recession," adding that a large part of the U.S. economy is based on such capital expenditures. He argued that AI infrastructure investment is lifting jobs, facilities and demand for energy infrastructure, going beyond a simple technology-sector issue.

The remarks came as local backlash against data centres grows across the United States. Residents and local governments are restricting new projects citing surging power demand, increased water use and strain on local grids. Brookings said at least 100 areas had approved construction halts by July, and New York has paused some permitting procedures for up to 1 year.

Fink pushed back, saying, "Most of it is misinformation." He said the issue is not data centres, shifting the focus of the controversy from the facilities themselves to expanding energy infrastructure and the economic impact.

Markets are focusing on the scale of AI infrastructure investment itself, which has already grown large enough to affect U.S. growth rates. Wall Street analysts see AI-related capital spending exceeding $1 trillion in 2027 and cumulative spending surpassing $5 trillion by 2030. Fink has said that more private capital is needed to maintain around 3 percent annual GDP growth, and BlackRock has held discussions related to this with semiconductor companies including AMD and Broadcom.

Public sentiment, however, is deteriorating quickly. In a survey this summer by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, 61 percent of respondents said they oppose new data-centre construction in their area of residence. The opposition share rose from 49 percent in the spring, with opposition outweighing support among Democrats, Republicans and independents.

Regulation is also increasing. New York is enforcing a moratorium on mega-sized data centres, and Texas has halted approval procedures. Several cities including Austin and Jersey City have also introduced separate restrictions. Data Center Watch tallied that projects worth about $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

The issue has also spilled into election politics. In the Ohio Senate race, Democrat Sherrod Brown has taken a stance opposing data-centre expansion, while a super PAC backed by AI-industry billionaires including Marc Andreessen and OpenAI President Greg Brockman spent millions of dollars on ads defending data centres in swing states. U.S. President Donald Trump also warned that communities that reject data centres could ultimately fall behind.

The debate could also be an indirect variable for the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin has recently been reacting sensitively to macroeconomic trends and risk-asset appetite, and growing concern over a slowdown in U.S. AI infrastructure investment and an economic downturn could weigh on the broader market.

Fink's remarks are drawing more attention because of BlackRock's influence in the cryptocurrency market. He leads the world's largest asset manager and is also a key player in the spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund market. Fink has previously described bitcoin as an "asset for a world gripped by fear," and BlackRock has said that AI agents could be the next driver of cryptocurrency demand. Against that backdrop, the spread of data-centre regulation is emerging as a new point of interest because it could rattle AI investment, the macroeconomy and the digital-asset market at the same time.