Indo-Pacific Command Runs Live Bitcoin Node
Adm. Samuel Paparo told the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 21, 2026, that Indo‑Pacific Command runs a live Bitcoin node and is testing the protocol for military network security.
At an April 21, 2026 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the FY2027 defense authorization, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr., commander of U.S. Indo‑Pacific Command, confirmed the command operates a live Bitcoin node and is conducting operational tests of the Bitcoin protocol to secure military networks.
Paparo framed Bitcoin as a computer science tool rather than an economic asset, highlighting its components: cryptography, a shared ledger and proof-of-work. He told the committee the command is studying how those technical features could be applied to network defense.
“Our research into Bitcoin is as a computer science tool,” Paparo testified. “It’s the combination of cryptography, a blockchain and proof-of-work and Bitcoin shows incredible potential as a computer science tool that, through the proof-of-work protocols, actually imposes more cost than just the algorithmic securing of networks and our ability to operate.”
He explained that proof-of-work requires dedicated computing and energy to validate transactions and said the command is exploring whether those resource requirements can be used to raise the cost for adversary cyber actions.
On the command’s engagement with the network, Paparo stated plainly, “We have a node on the Bitcoin network. We’re doing a number of operational tests to secure and protect networks using the Bitcoin protocol.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville raised whether U.S. leadership in Bitcoin could increase leverage against China and asked about a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Paparo confined his answers to INDOPACOM’s technical research and did not discuss creating any national reserve. He indicated some aspects of the work could remain classified.
The Bitcoin Policy Institute and other observers described the public testimony as a notable endorsement of protocol-level applications for national security. Prior U.S. military public comments on cryptocurrencies have focused mainly on illicit finance and sanctions enforcement.
Running a Bitcoin node means maintaining a copy of the blockchain and relaying and verifying transactions. Operational testing on a live node can include assessing network resilience, verifying integrity and evaluating how protocol features might be applied to cybersecurity and network defense.
The hearing also covered INDOPACOM’s broader posture and U.S. Forces Korea. Paparo’s remarks about Bitcoin came during the question-and-answer portion of the session.
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