Four-star Admiral Paparo told Congress that the US military is actively running a Bitcoin network node and conducting operational tests to secure and protect networks using the Bitcoin protocol. His interest, he was careful to clarify, is in Bitcoin as a computer-science instrument — cryptography, blockchain accountability, and reusable proof-of-work — rather than as a financial asset. He called the protocol "here to stay" and said its computer-science properties have direct implications for projecting power and securing networks.
The congressional exchange also surfaced a striking strategic framing: the Bitcoin Policy Institute estimates the US holds roughly 328,000 BTC versus China's estimated 194,000 BTC, and lawmakers pressed the admiral on whether maintaining that lead carries the same logic as leading in gold or oil reserves.
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