Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, revealed during a congressional hearing that the U.S. government is currently running a node on the Bitcoin network for operational network-security testing. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee, Paparo stated, "We have a node on the Bitcoin network right now," emphasizing that the military is not mining Bitcoin but rather studying its underlying technology.
Paparo described the government's interest in Bitcoin as a "computer science tool," focusing on its cryptography, blockchain design, and proof-of-work model. He highlighted that these features have important cybersecurity applications beyond Bitcoin's economic use as a digital asset. The node is being used to monitor activity and test how the Bitcoin protocol may support secure systems, with the work still in an experimental stage.
The distinction between infrastructure participation and speculation was clear: "We're not mining Bitcoin," Paparo stated, noting that the node is employed for monitoring and testing purposes only. A Bitcoin node independently validates and relays network data, helping ensure the protocol functions as expected without providing block rewards or network control. The broader Bitcoin network, maintained by tens of thousands of globally distributed nodes, remains decentralized, preventing any single party from controlling validation.
The disclosure widens Bitcoin's role in Washington, particularly as the hearing addressed U.S. military posture in the Indo-Pacific and strategic competition with China. Paparo called Bitcoin a "peer-to-peer, zero-trust transfer of value" and argued that anything supporting American national power is worth understanding. He also referenced the GENIUS Act, signed last year to support dollar-pegged stablecoins in the U.S., noting it moves policy forward as the country examines digital finance and security together.
