Overview
- Admiral Samuel Paparo disclosed Wednesday that INDOPACOM is operating a live Bitcoin node to run operational tests that aim to secure and protect military networks.
- Paparo stressed the work is experimental and nonfinancial, saying the military is not mining or stockpiling Bitcoin and is using the protocol to monitor and harden systems.
- A Bitcoin node stores the blockchain, checks every transaction and block against the rules, and relays data across the network, and one of thousands does not let any single party control the system.
- Framing Bitcoin as a computer science tool, Paparo said proof-of-work can raise the real-world cost of cyberattacks and could bolster deterrence and resilience in contested environments.
- Lawmakers linked the effort to great-power competition with China, as Paparo also praised last year’s GENIUS Act on dollar-pegged stablecoins and members explored reserve and domestic mining hardware proposals.