Top U.S. Pacific Commander Endorses Bitcoin at Senate Hearing
On April 21, 2026, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a FY2027 defense authorization hearing. When Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) pressed him on whether Bitcoin leadership gives the United States an edge against China in the Indo-Pacific theater, Paparo provided a rare and notable endorsement.
“Bitcoin is a reality,” Paparo stated. “It’s a peer-to-peer, zero-trust transfer of value. Anything that supports all instruments of national power for the United States of America is to the good.” He added that INDOPACOM’s research into Bitcoin centers on its underlying computer science architecture — the fusion of cryptography, blockchain, and proof-of-work protocols — and that those protocols “impose more cost than just securing networks,” extending to offensive and defensive cyber operations. “Bitcoin shows incredible potential as a computer science tool. It’s a valuable computer science tool as a power projection,” he said.
Bitcoin as a Cybersecurity Tool, Not a Speculative Asset
The testimony is notable for its framing. Paparo explicitly avoided describing Bitcoin as a speculative asset or financial instrument. Instead, he characterized it as a computer science system with direct cybersecurity applications — an argument with precedent in defense circles. Space Force Major Jason Lowery, a national defense fellow at MIT, has long argued that Bitcoin’s proof-of-work mechanism can deter cyberattacks by imposing physical, energy-based costs on adversaries, analogous to conventional military deterrence.
Senator Tuberville’s line of questioning drew a direct line between Bitcoin strategy and great-power competition. He noted that the Chinese Communist Party’s main monetary think tank, the International Monetary Institute, published research last year titled “The Case for Bitcoin as a Reserve Asset,” which commented that Bitcoin is shifting from a speculative instrument to a strategic reserve consideration — a clear signal that Beijing is watching U.S. moves.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Legislative Progress
President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on March 6, 2025, seeding it with BTC seized through criminal and civil asset forfeiture. The White House has directed that government BTC holdings not be sold, treating them as long-term reserve assets — what crypto policy advisor David Sacks called “a digital Fort Knox.” Senator Tuberville co-sponsored the BITCOIN Act alongside Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) in March 2025, which would direct the Treasury to acquire one million BTC over time, mirroring the scale of U.S. gold reserves. Admiral Paparo did not offer specific legislative recommendations during the open session, saying he preferred to go on record in writing and dive deeper in a classified setting.
The Broader Shift: From Financial Asset to National Strategic Tool
Paparo’s testimony, while brief, reflects a paradigm shift. Bitcoin is no longer merely digital gold or a speculative asset; it is being formally integrated into the framework of U.S. national security and great-power competition. From military leaders citing its computer science value, to an executive order treating it as a strategic reserve, to legislation aiming to match gold reserve levels, Bitcoin is undergoing a transformation from a civilian asset to a national strategic tool. This trend could have profound implications for global geopolitics and cryptocurrency markets.
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