US Rep. Calls Bitcoin A ‘Geopolitical Weapon Used By Multiple Adversaries’

Top US officials have increasingly placed Bitcoin (BTC) at the center of national security discussions, and Representative Lance Gooden says the change is more than just political rhetoric. 

In comments reported Thursday, the Texas Republican argued that the largest cryptocurrency has become a “geopolitical weapon” being used—simultaneously, in his view—by multiple adversaries.

Gooden’s remarks follow confirmation from Pentagon leadership. According to reporting by the TFTC agency, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told him that the Department of Defense is actively involved with Bitcoin in classified operations designed to counter what Hegseth described as “China’s digital authoritarianism.” 

Gooden quoted Hegseth directly, saying: “I am a long enthusiast of Bitcoin and crypto potential, and a lot of the things we are doing, enabling it or defeating it, are classified efforts that are ongoing inside our department, which do provide us a lot of leverage in a lot of different scenarios.”

In recent Senate testimony, Admiral Samuel Paparo—commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command—described Bitcoin as having “incredible potential” as a tool with cybersecurity and wider strategic uses. 

Paparo told the Senate, “We have a node on the Bitcoin network right now. Bitcoin has direct implications for power projection.”

Within that context, Gooden laid out what he sees as a multi-front national security landscape for Bitcoin. He argued that Iran is demanding Bitcoin as a toll for transit through the Strait of Hormuz. 

The Republican also claimed that North Korea-linked hackers are using Bitcoin in ransomware campaigns. And he said China is “believed to be stockpiling substantial holdings as part of its strategic reserve.” 

Gooden framed his conclusion plainly: “Over the past decade, Bitcoin has evolved from a fringe asset into a matter of national security.”

The geopolitical angle is supported by estimates from advocacy and policy groups in the industry. According to the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), China holds approximately 194,000 BTC, while the United States holds approximately 328,000 BTC. 

For Gooden, those figures underscore the shift he says is underway: Bitcoin is no longer treated as a speculative sideshow in finance committees. 

Instead, he described the market’s leading cryptocurrency as an instrument that can show up in armed services hearings—as an asset relevant to power projection, economic conflict, and reserve accumulation.

As of this writing, BTC is trading at approximately $76,384, marking modest gains of 1% within the last 24 hours after probing the $75,000 support level on Wednesday. The key level to watch for the cryptocurrency is currently around $80,000 — a level that has been elusive for BTC since early February. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com