Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, told two congressional panels this week that the military is running a live Bitcoin node for cybersecurity testing and views the protocol as a tool of national power in competition with China.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs added $1.9 billion in seven days, led by BlackRock, as BTC briefly topped $79,000 near $80,000.
Bitcoin transaction fees have been crashing for a while now, especially with the market beginning another bear trend. This has continued to be the case as participation falls to levels not seen in years, and the fees have followed the same trajectory.
The most notable development came from the Pentagon, which told U.S. lawmakers in a classified briefing that clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil chokepoint, could take at least six months, and the process will begin only after the U.S.-Iran conflict ends. The briefing also warned that gasoline and oil prices may remain elevated through the midterm elections, according to the Washington Post.
Pantera Capital urged Satsuma to sell its 646 BTC and return capital as the LSE-listed firm's Bitcoin strategy comes under pressure.
On Apr. 22, Bitcoin price registered an intraday high of $79,485 as broader risk assets bounced on relief from a ceasefire. On-chain data frames Bitcoin's (BTC) approach to $80,000 as a behavioral tripwire, a ceiling built from the breakeven psychology of recent buyers.
Bitcoin dips after testing $80,000 as oil surges and traders stay bearish, even though a breakout hints the rally could accelerate on short squeezes.
Admiral Samuel Paparo told Congress that INDOPACOM is running a live Bitcoin node and conducting operational security tests using the protocol, describing Bitcoin as a computer science tool rather than a financial asset.
The U.S. military is testing a Bitcoin node for cybersecurity, with Admiral Paparo saying the effort does not involve mining BTC right now.
Bitcoin Magazine Pro lead analyst Matt Crosby says traders relying on Bitcoin's traditional four-year cycle may be leaning on a framework that no longer fits the market. In his latest analysis, Crosby argued that structural shifts in supply, institutional demand and macro liquidity now matter more than the old halving-driven playbook.
Pantera Capital has pushed Satsuma Technology to liquidate its Bitcoin holdings and return the proceeds to shareholders, escalating a governance dispute that puts corporate Bitcoin treasury strategy under direct investor pressure.
Even without surpassing the $80,000 level, BTC still managed to increase its dominance over the altcoins.