News Block: A Four-Star Admiral Just Confirmed the U.S. Military Is Running a Bitcoin Node

Welcome to the Coin Stories news block powered exclusively by Ledin. I'm Natalie Brunel and in about 10 minutes or less, I'll provide you with insightful updates on Bitcoin, financial markets and the global economy. Everything you need to know in one block. Let's go. Hey everyone, reporting in from Las Vegas where I'm about to speak at Bitcoin 2026 and co-host the fifth annual Women of Bitcoin Bash. It's already shaping up to be a big week. I'm excited to be speaking on several panels, so make sure you're following the live streams if you can't be here in person. And if you're thinking about joining us last minute, tickets are still available. You can use the code HODL, H-O-D-L, for a discount. All right, this is going to be a short episode, but I thought the most interesting story of the week came not from Wall Street, but from Washington, D.C. It came from one of the most senior military leaders in the United States. So let's get right into it. This past week, four-star Admiral Samuel Paparo testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he talked about Bitcoin. What he said about Bitcoin is something everyone needs to hear. To give you a sense of who this is, a four-star Admiral is the Navy equivalent of a four-star general, and four-star rank is the highest active duty rank in the U.S. military. And Paparo is not just any four-star. He commands the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the nation's oldest and largest combatant command, which includes roughly 380,000 personnel and spans 36 nations, 14 time zones, and 60% of the world's population. In other words, this is a serious person in a very serious role speaking under oath. Now listen to what he had to say about Bitcoin Do you think that a strategic Bitcoin reserve helps America compete against China Senator our research into Bitcoin is as a computer science tool It the combination of cryptography, a blockchain, and a proof of work. And Bitcoin shows incredible potential as a as a computer science tool that through the proof of work protocols is a actually imposes more cost than just the algorithmic securing of networks and our ability to operate. And Bitcoin is a reality. It is a valuable computer science tool as a power projection. And outside of the economic formulation of it, it has got really important computer science applications for cybersecurity. He went on to describe Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer, zero-trust transfer of value. And then it got even more interesting. The very next day, Admiral Paparo confirmed that the U.S. military is running a Bitcoin node and conducting operational tests to secure and protect networks using the Bitcoin protocol. OK, so that is pretty shocking to hear from a four star admiral. He is telling Congress on the record that the U.S. military is running a Bitcoin node. And that may be less surprising when you consider who has been advising the commander. Last August, Jason Lowry, a former U.S. Space Force officer and author of SoftWar, was appointed special assistant to the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. So the man who has spent years arguing that Bitcoin matters so much for U.S. national security is now advising the same four-star admiral making that case before Congress. It's a huge deal. It also a reminder that Bitcoin is no longer being taken seriously only by investors and technologists It increasingly being taken seriously inside some of the most powerful institutions in the world Ledin just introduced their lowest rates ever. The larger the loan, the lower the rate. These new rates apply to all new loans, refinances and renewals with Ledin's gold standard protection. Your Bitcoin stays custodied, never lent out. You can activate auto top-ups and alerts so you're never caught off guard and you can repay any time with zero penalties. Don't choose between a great rate and the safety of your Bitcoin. Get both at Ledin and a quarter percentage point off your first loan at ledin.io slash Natalie. So here's the key takeaway for listeners to understand. Most people still think of Bitcoin as just an asset, a ticker or a price. But Bitcoin is really two things at once, the asset and the network underneath it. That network is permissionless, trustless, decentralized, and always on. No CEO, no headquarters, no off switch, and no one can freeze it or shut it down. It is the most secure computing network in the world. And I still think people underappreciate just how powerful that is. Bitcoin is not just a place to store value. It's a monetary infrastructure built to impose real costs on anyone who tries to attack it. In a world shaped by cyber conflict, sanctions, and geopolitical fragmentation, those qualities stop looking theoretical and start looking very strategic. And that's exactly what Admiral Paparo was signaling to the Senate. Bitcoin is here, its adoption is growing, and it is not just another investment, It is critical infrastructure and something America needs to lead in. And the contrast is hard to ignore You still have people saying Bitcoin has no real use case while one of the most senior military leaders in the world is telling the Senate under oath that it has real applications for power projection and cybersecurity And when the most powerful military in the world starts talking about Bitcoin this way, the conversation has fundamentally changed. People should pay very close attention. And I think it's something that the public will only appreciate in hindsight. All right, I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Bitcoin 2026. This conference means so much to me. It was back in 2021 that I came out on a press pass, bringing my best friend along with me, not knowing anyone, barely having any followers. And somehow here I am getting to do the thing I love most, educate people on Bitcoin, talk about Bitcoin, and continue to meet more of you from around the world. So you never know what can happen at these types of events. I encourage all of you to get out there. There's nothing like meeting Bitcoiners in real life. So come on out to this conference or come on out to BTC Prague. You can use code HODL for discounted passes and come up, say hi. I hope you've checked out my book, Bitcoin is for Everyone. We're gonna be doing some book signings and it just means so much to be able to work in this industry. Also, we've got some exciting interviews coming up on CoinStory. So make sure you're subscribed and keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world. That's coming up soon. All right, until next week, keep stacking. That's it for the News Block, your weekly Bitcoin and economic news update powered exclusively by Ledin. I'm Natalie Brunel. Make sure you're subscribed to CoinStory so you never miss an episode. This show is for educational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice. Until next time, keep stacking. you