•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A senior US military commander has praised Bitcoin as a “valuable computer science tool,” arguing its usefulness extends beyond monetary applications and could support US national security interests.
Speaking at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Admiral Samuel Paparo said Bitcoin’s proof-of-work technology “imposes more cost” on attackers attempting to compromise the network. He added that, beyond economic functions, it has “really important computer science applications for cybersecurity.”
The hearing examined the strategic posture of US forces in the Indo-Pacific, including ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, China’s military expansion and coordination with foreign adversaries, and threats from North Korea.
Paparo’s remarks echoed similar comments from US Space Force member Jason Lowery in December 2023, who said Bitcoin and other proof-of-work blockchains could help protect the United States in cyberwarfare.
Lowery said Bitcoin is often viewed primarily as a “monetary system” for securing funds, but that fewer people understand it can be used to secure “all forms of data, messages or command signals.” He argued that this misconception “underplays the technology’s broad strategic significance for cybersecurity, and consequently, national security.”
Research into Bitcoin’s cybersecurity role comes as adversaries—including state-linked actors—have increasingly used cyberattacks such as phishing, ransomware and distributed denial-of-service to sabotage infrastructure and gain economic advantages.
North Korea’s Lazarus Group was cited as a notable example, having stolen billions of dollars in crypto over the past decade to support its nuclear program.
Paparo’s comments were made in response to a question from US Senator Tommy Tuberville, who asked how the US and Congress can lead on Bitcoin competition and noted that China’s top monetary think tank also views Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
Paparo did not address the question directly, but said: “Bitcoin is a reality. It is a peer-to-peer zero-trust transfer of value. Anything that supports all instruments of national power for the United States of America is to the good.”
Separately, the article notes that the US holds the largest Bitcoin reserves among nation-states and has the largest share of Bitcoin hashrate. However, it remains reliant on foreign-manufactured mining equipment, a factor that has raised national security concerns related to supply chain risks.
Last month, US Senators Bill Cassidy and Cynthia Lummis introduced the Mined in America Act to bring more Bitcoin mining manufacturing back to the US.
The bill also seeks to codify Trump’s executive order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
