Microsoft Startup Exec Bashes GPU Shortage, Blames Bitcoin Miners

Published Date : 26/10/2025 

Britton Winterrose, Microsoft's lead in Technical Business Development for Startups, expresses frustration over the ongoing GPU shortage and criticizes the allocation of GPUs to Bitcoin miners. 

Britton Winterrose, Microsoft’s lead in Technical Business Development for Startups, has taken to social media to voice his frustration over the chronic GPU shortage. In a series of tweets, Winterrose highlighted the current supply and demand situation, dismissing concerns about an AI bubble and criticizing NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang for his perceived support of “random bitcoin miners.”

According to Winterrose’s LinkedIn profile, he is a former funder and AI expert who has worked with over 500 Y Combinator and AI startups as a technical advisor over the past seven years. Additionally, he is an active angel investor in more than 40 startups. Since 2020, the constant struggle to secure GPUs has been a significant challenge, making his public frustration understandable.

Probably more controversial is Winterrose’s opinion on who deserves access to precious GPU shipments. He dismisses a swath of participants in the cryptocurrency industry as “random Bitcoin miners parading as tier I & II data centers.” This criticism underscores the tension between the AI and cryptocurrency sectors, both of which heavily rely on GPUs.

Winterrose is keen to promote the AI cause, given his position. In his tweets, he made light of those dismissing the AI industry as a bubble. The only “froth” he sees is Jensen Huang’s continued courting of Bitcoin miners. Despite the decline of the GPUs-for-crypto heyday, Winterrose believes these enterprises continue to drink too much from the shallow and depleted GPU well.

In a follow-up tweet, Winterrose continued to plead the case for the AI founders and startups he supports in his Microsoft role. “The founders need these damn things,” he emphasized, still focused on the GPU drought. He ended his social media rant by calling for some kind of intervention to help promising startups win the uphill battle. He believes that “people with vision, faith, belief, tenacity, and relentlessness, and benevolence” should be prioritized in the allocation of GPUs.

The ongoing GPU shortage has been a significant challenge for the tech industry, particularly for startups and small businesses that rely on these powerful processors for AI development and other compute-intensive tasks. NVIDIA, a leading GPU manufacturer, has been under pressure to balance the needs of various sectors, including AI, cryptocurrency, and gaming. Winterrose’s comments reflect the frustration felt by many in the AI community who see the allocation of GPUs to Bitcoin miners as a misallocation of resources.

As the demand for GPUs continues to grow, the tech industry will need to find innovative solutions to ensure that these critical components are available to those who need them most. Whether through increased production, better allocation strategies, or new technologies, the future of AI and other compute-intensive fields depends on the availability of these powerful processors. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main issue Britton Winterrose is facing?

A: Britton Winterrose, Microsoft’s lead in Technical Business Development for Startups, is facing a chronic GPU shortage that has been affecting his work since 2020.

Q: Why is Britton Winterrose criticizing Bitcoin miners?

A: Winterrose believes that Bitcoin miners are taking up GPU resources that could be better used by AI startups and founders, whom he supports in his role at Microsoft.

Q: What is the current state of the GPU market?

A: The GPU market is experiencing a significant shortage, with high demand from various sectors including AI, cryptocurrency, and gaming, leading to supply constraints.

Q: How does Jensen Huang fit into this issue?

A: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is criticized by Winterrose for continuing to allocate GPUs to Bitcoin miners, which Winterrose sees as a misallocation of resources.

Q: What does Winterrose suggest to address the GPU shortage?

A: Winterrose suggests that people with vision, faith, belief, tenacity, and benevolence should be prioritized in the allocation of GPUs to help promising startups win the uphill battle. 

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