Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), stated on April 21, 2026 before the US Senate that Bitcoin (BTC) has “incredible potential” as a national security tool, with applications in cyber defense and power projection.
The declarationYoon came during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the military posture for fiscal year 2027, in response to a question from Senator Tommy Tuberville about Bitcoin’s role in the strategic competition with China and its impact on resilience and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
In his speech, Paparo framed Bitcoin as a computational-based tool that combines cryptography, blockchain, and proof-of-work mechanisms. He pointed out that this system not only allows networks to be secured, but also introduces physical costs—mainly energy—, an element that, under his approach, can have strategic implications in cyberspace. He also described it as a value transfer system peer-to-peer and “zero trust”, capable of operating without intermediaries and aligned with the instruments of national power.
“Bitcoin shows incredible potential as a computer science tool. It is the combination of cryptography, a blockchain, and proof of work. Bitcoin shows incredible potential as a computer science tool that, through proof-of-work protocols, actually imposes more cost than just the algorithmic security of networks and our ability to operate. Bitcoin is a reality. It is a valuable computer science tool for power projection.”
In a second moment, he added: “Anything that supports all the instruments of the national power of the United States is a positive thing.” The approach coincides with approaches such as the thesis “Softwareby Jason Lowerywhich proposes the use of Bitcoin and its proof of work as a form of non-kinetic power projection in cyberspace.
The statements occur in a context in which Bitcoin has been used in different scenarios to circumvent financial controls and state restrictionsas reported by CriptoNoticias. Cases such as Ukraine or Iran have demonstrated its use in situations of conflict or sanctions, reinforcing its ability to operate outside of intermediaries and traditional systems.