U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Paparo confirmed at a Senate hearing that the U.S. is operating a Bitcoin node for cybersecurity testing; he highly praised the proof-of-work mechanism, believing it can be used for power projection and increasing attack costs. The U.S. is integrating Bitcoin from financial assets into national security strategy, using it as a new weapon in intelligence gathering, cyber defense, and decentralized technology in geopolitical competition. This is the first time the U.S. military publicly defined Bitcoin as a national security-related asset in Congress.

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2026-04-22 18:31:48

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Does Bitcoin Officially Become a U.S. National Security Weapon?
The U.S. Military’s Largest Geographic Combatant Command — Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo confirmed at a Senate hearing on the 21st that the U.S. military is currently “operating a Bitcoin node” for cybersecurity testing.
He highly praises the proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism as a valuable tool that can be used for “power projection” and increasing the costs for hackers.
(Background: Iranian state media signals the U.S. will lift maritime blockade, gold and Bitcoin surge, possibly leading to a real ceasefire in the war)
(Additional context: U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander, a four-star general: Bitcoin is a “power projection” tool aligned with American interests)

Bitcoin’s strategic positioning is officially shifting from Wall Street financial assets to the Pentagon’s defense frontlines.

On April 21, 2026, U.S. time, Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, attended a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
In response to Senator Tommy Tuberville’s inquiry about “the role of Bitcoin in U.S.-China geopolitical competition,” he delivered a response that shocked the entire cryptocurrency community and national security circles.

Shockwave: U.S. Military Personally Runs a Bitcoin Node

Admiral Paparo publicly confirmed for the first time the U.S. military’s direct involvement with the Bitcoin network during the hearing:

“We have a node on the Bitcoin network… We are conducting a series of operational tests to use the Bitcoin protocol to secure and strengthen network security.”

He described Bitcoin as “a real thing,” and highly affirmed its unique properties as a “peer-to-peer, trustless value transfer system.”

Unlike most financial institutions focused on price fluctuations, the U.S. military values Bitcoin’s underlying cryptography and blockchain technology.
Paparo pointed out that Bitcoin’s core — Proof-of-Work (PoW) — is an “extremely valuable computer science tool.”
He believes PoW can be used not only for “power projection” but also to significantly increase attackers’ costs, playing a defensive role in cybersecurity, with future potential for both offensive and defensive cyber operations.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 US Admiral Paparo says the United States is running a Bitcoin node.

“We have a node on the Bitcoin network… We’re doing a number of operational tests to secure and protect networks using the Bitcoin protocol.” pic.twitter.com/2nGHgbxHUM

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) April 22, 2026

Why Does the U.S. Military Run a Node? Intelligence Gathering and Great Power Competition

Why does the U.S. military need to personally operate a full Bitcoin node?
Security experts and on-chain analysts suggest this is more like part of U.S. intelligence and defense infrastructure deployment, carrying profound strategic significance:

Frontline intelligence gathering: Running a full Bitcoin node allows the U.S. military to directly monitor network traffic, analyze the mempool, and observe transaction patterns. This is crucial for tracking how adversaries use cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions or tracing ransomware funds.
Cyber warfare “cost imposition” mechanism: Paparo’s view echoes the earlier “Softwar” theory proposed by U.S. Space Force Major Jason Lowery, which uses PoW’s energy consumption as a physical defense mechanism against cyber threats.
A new battlefield in great power competition: As the commander responsible for competition with China in the Indo-Pacific, Paparo categorizes Bitcoin as a “national power tool,” implying the U.S. is seriously exploring how to dominate decentralized networks in future technological warfare.

This hearing’s stance is seen as the U.S. military’s “first” public declaration in Congress that Bitcoin is a strategic asset highly related to national security.
This not only overturns the past stereotype of the government viewing cryptocurrencies solely as money laundering tools but also signifies that Bitcoin has officially been incorporated into the U.S. military strategic blueprint for responding to geopolitical conflicts.

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