Original title: (U.S. Military Confirms Operation of Bitcoin Node, Four-Star Admiral Calls it a 'Power Projection Tool')
Original author: Thursday, Deep Tide TechFlow

The U.S. military's stance on Bitcoin is undergoing a fundamental shift.

According to Bitcoin Magazine on April 22, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), testified this week before Congress's military committees, confirming that the command is currently operating a full Bitcoin node and conducting a series of military cybersecurity tests based on the Bitcoin protocol.

Paparo is the top commander of the largest of the six U.S. joint combatant commands, overseeing around 380,000 military personnel and responsible for the Indo-Pacific theater covering half the Earth's surface.

During his testimony, Paparo clearly defined Bitcoin as a 'computer science tool' and 'means of power projection,' rather than a speculative financial asset. This marks the first time a senior U.S. military officer has made such a characterization of Bitcoin in a congressional setting, and it is the first known instance of a U.S. combatant command confirming direct participation in the Bitcoin peer-to-peer network.

Senate Testimony: Bitcoin is 'a tool of national power'

On April 21, Paparo responded to Senator Tommy Tuberville (Republican, Alabama) about the strategic value of Bitcoin during the Senate Armed Services Committee's hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Authorization.

Tuberville directly asked: Can America's leading position in Bitcoin enhance deterrence against China?

Paparo did not shy away; he told the committee that INDOPACOM's research focuses on the underlying computer science architecture of Bitcoin, including the integration of cryptography, blockchain, and proof-of-work technologies.

Paparo stated: 'Bitcoin is a tangible reality. It is a peer-to-peer, trustless value transfer system. Anything that underpins the entire arsenal of the United States is beneficial.' He also added, 'Beyond its economic attributes, Bitcoin has very important applications in computer science within the realm of cybersecurity.'

Paparo further elaborated on the military potential of proof-of-work protocols. He noted that the costs imposed by Bitcoin's proof-of-work mechanism 'far exceed mere algorithmic network protection,' and its applications can extend to offensive and defensive cyber operations.

In other words, the Pentagon is interested not in the price trajectory of Bitcoin but in its role as a computer security architecture that 'makes attacks physically costly.'

The House hearing confirmed: 'We have a node on the Bitcoin network'

On April 22, Paparo appeared before the House Armed Services Committee, where he faced further questioning from Congressman Lance Gooden (Republican, Texas), revealing more details.

According to an official press release from Gooden's office and the verbatim record of the hearing, Paparo explicitly stated: 'We are currently in an experimental phase. We now have a node on the Bitcoin network. We are not mining. We use it for monitoring and conducting a series of operational tests, utilizing the Bitcoin protocol to enhance cybersecurity.'

Gooden also cited data from the Bitcoin Policy Institute during the hearing, indicating that China currently holds approximately 194,000 Bitcoins, while the U.S. holds around 328,000. He pressed Paparo:

In the age of digital competition, should the U.S. maintain a leading position in Bitcoin holdings like it does with strategic resources such as gold and oil?

Paparo responded that people are currently using Bitcoin to protect their digital assets, which is exactly what the combination of proof-of-work protocols, blockchain, and cryptography enables.

He also expressed support for the GENIUS Act (stablecoin legislative framework) regarding its positive role in maintaining the global dominance of the dollar but refrained from commenting on 'strategic Bitcoin reserves' in public, indicating a preference for deeper discussions in classified settings.

Pentagon Narrative Shift

A notable feature of Paparo's testimony is what he 'didn't say.' He didn't describe Bitcoin as a reserve asset, payment system, or speculative tool, but consistently positioned it as a computer science system with direct military relevance.

According to Bitcoin Magazine, previous public statements from the U.S. military regarding cryptocurrency had primarily focused on combating illegal finance and enforcing sanctions. Paparo's testimony marks a significant shift in this narrative framework, as the Bitcoin protocol layer architecture is for the first time described by a current combatant commander as a technology of national security value.

Sam Lyman, head of research at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, stated that Paparo's testimony confirms that Bitcoin 'has become an undeniable geopolitical asset.'

As of early 2026, there are approximately 15,000 to 20,000 publicly reachable full nodes on the Bitcoin network; the actual number may be higher as many nodes operate behind firewalls. The addition of INDOPACOM's node means the U.S. military is no longer just an observer of the Bitcoin network but a direct participant.

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