US admiral highlights Bitcoin’s national security role

A senior US military official has described Bitcoin as a strategic technology with applications beyond finance, highlighting its potential role in national security and cybersecurity.

Admiral Samuel Paparo told a Senate hearing that Bitcoin’s proof-of-work system can impose costs on attackers, making it useful as a defensive tool in cyber warfare.

“It is a valuable computer science tool, as a power projection,”

Paparo said, adding that its applications extend beyond monetary use cases.

The remarks were made during a session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which was examining broader geopolitical threats including cyberattacks and strategic competition with nations such as China.

Officials and analysts have increasingly pointed to Bitcoin’s underlying technology as a way to secure data, communications, and infrastructure against adversarial attacks.

The discussion comes as lawmakers consider policies to strengthen US leadership in Bitcoin mining and infrastructure, including proposals to localise production and expand strategic reserves.

While still an emerging concept, the framing of Bitcoin as a national security asset reflects a growing shift in how governments evaluate digital assets beyond their financial role.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $77,475.90.