US admiral calls Bitcoin an instrument for US ‘power projection’

A senior US military commander has lauded Bitcoin as a “valuable computer science tool,” arguing its usefulness extends beyond monetary applications and can support US national security interests.

“It is a valuable computer science tool, as a power projection,” Admiral Samuel Paparo said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, adding that Bitcoin’s proof-of-work technology “imposes more cost” on attackers attempting to compromise the network:

“Outside of the economic formulation of it, it has got really important computer science applications for cybersecurity.”

The Senate hearing looked into the strategic posture of US forces in 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.

Admiral Samuel Paparo at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. Source: US Senate Committee on Armed Services

Paparo’s remarks echo similar comments from US Space Force member Jason Lowery in December 2023, who said Bitcoin and other proof-of-work blockchains could protect the US in cyberwarfare.

At the time, he said that while Bitcoin is mostly seen as a “monetary system” to secure funds, few know that Bitcoin can be used to secure “all forms of data, messages or command signals.”

“As a result, this misconception underplays the technology’s broad strategic significance for cybersecurity, and consequently, national security.”

Research into Bitcoin’s use as a cybersecurity tool comes as many adversaries — including state-linked actors — have turned to cyberattacks such as phishing, ransomware and to sabotage infrastructure and secure economic advantages.