US military is running Bitcoin node for national security network tests
A US combatant command is operating a Bitcoin node and testing the protocol for network defense rather than mining or investment.
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Add us on Google by Estefano Gomez Apr. 23, 2026The US military is using the Bitcoin network for cybersecurity testing, according to Admiral Samuel Paparo, who told Congress that the military is running a live Bitcoin node and conducting operational tests to secure and protect networks using the Bitcoin protocol.
The commander of US Indo-Pacific Command said the activity is focused on network defense, not on buying or mining Bitcoin.
Paparo’s remarks, delivered during this week’s congressional hearings on US military posture in the Indo-Pacific, frame Bitcoin as a technical tool rather than a speculative asset. Paparo described the effort as a way to monitor activity and test security applications built on Bitcoin’s underlying architecture.
Current US military efforts are focused on running a Bitcoin node, which means maintaining and verifying an independent copy of the blockchain ledger and monitoring activity across the network. That does not mean the Pentagon is mining Bitcoin or building a position in the asset. Instead, the military appears to be evaluating whether Bitcoin’s architecture can support network defense and security testing.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.