TLDR
- Admiral Samuel Paparo said Bitcoin has military and cybersecurity value beyond its role as a digital asset.
- INDOPACOM is running a Bitcoin node as part of ongoing cybersecurity and network protection tests.
- Paparo said the U.S. military is not mining Bitcoin and is using the node for monitoring and testing.
- He described Bitcoin as a system built on cryptography, blockchain and reusable proof of work.
- Paparo linked Bitcoin’s technical design to secure networks and broader national defense applications.
A senior U.S. military officer has cast Bitcoin as a cybersecurity and defense tool rather than only a financial asset, marking a notable shift in how the protocol is being discussed inside national security circles. During an April 22 House Armed Services Committee hearing on military posture in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said his interest in Bitcoin is rooted in cryptography, blockchain design and reusable proof of work as tools for securing networks and projecting power.
Paparo said the protocol’s value to the military comes from computer science rather than from its price or reserve status. In the hearing exchange, he told lawmakers that Bitcoin is “here to stay” and said its computer science has “direct implications” for securing networks and for the projection of power. He added that, from a military application standpoint, his focus is on Bitcoin as a computer science tool.
US Admiral Backs Bitcoin: A Matter of National Interest
In April 2026, Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, stated during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the fiscal year 2027 defense budget request that Bitcoin can be regarded as a… pic.twitter.com/hMbsDOYmqy
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) April 25, 2026
The remarks came during a House hearing held to examine U.S. military posture and national security challenges in the Indo-Pacific ahead of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Paparo appeared alongside Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh and General Xavier Brunson.
INDOPACOM Says it Is Running a Bitcoin Node
Paparo also disclosed that his command is already operating a node on the Bitcoin network. He told Representative Lance Gooden that the work is still in an experimentation phase and said, “Presently, we have a node on the Bitcoin network right now.” He added that INDOPACOM is not mining Bitcoin and is instead using the node to monitor the network and run operational tests focused on securing and protecting systems with the Bitcoin protocol.
That framing placed the military’s work with Bitcoin inside a narrow technical lane. Paparo did not describe the effort as an attempt to accumulate Bitcoin or participate in mining. Instead, he presented the node as part of testing tied to network defense and operational security.
The comments also showed that Bitcoin is being evaluated inside at least one combatant command as infrastructure that can be studied directly rather than only as an external financial network. By saying the command is monitoring activity and conducting tests through its own node, Paparo signaled active engagement with the protocol at the system level.
Paparo Separates Bitcoin’s Technical Role from its Monetary Role
Paparo drew a clear line between Bitcoin’s technical relevance and the broader policy debate around digital assets. While discussing Bitcoin, he said people already use it to protect digital property through the combination of proof of work, blockchain accountability and cryptography for security. He then said he sees “direct national security implications” in that framework while also supporting policies that maintain U.S. dollar dominance worldwide.
In the same exchange, Paparo pointed to the GENIUS Act as “a great step forward” when asked whether the United States was adequately prepared for digital asset competition. The GENIUS Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 18, 2025, creating a federal regulatory framework for dollar-backed stablecoins.
That left his testimony split across two tracks. Bitcoin was framed as a protocol with potential utility for cybersecurity and network defense, while stablecoin regulation was linked to the broader U.S. interest in preserving dollar strength in digital finance.
