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Senator Warren Demands Commerce Department Details on Bitmain National Security Risks

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR:

  • Senator Warren sent a formal letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick seeking Bitmain-related national security documents.
  • Federal probe “Operation Red Sunset” examined whether Bitmain rigs could spy on or sabotage the US power grid.
  • American Bitcoin Corp., backed by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., purchased 16,000 Bitmain rigs for $314 million.
  • Warren urged Commerce to prevent politically connected crypto firms from influencing national security decisions.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised concerns about Bitmain Technologies, a Chinese Bitcoin mining company, amid a federal investigation into potential national security threats.

She sent a formal letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requesting documents on the matter. Warren also sought clarity on any communications between Bitmain, the Trump family, and the Commerce Department.

Warren Targets Bitmain Over Federal Security Investigation

The Massachusetts senator’s letter came after Bloomberg News reported a federal probe called “Operation Red Sunset.” The investigation started under the Biden administration and focused on Bitmain’s hardware.

Authorities sought to determine whether the machines could be used for spying. There were also concerns about possible sabotage of the American power grid.

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The current status of Operation Red Sunset remains unclear to the public. National security investigations can run for years without any public legal proceedings.

The Department of Homeland Security, which led the probe, did not respond to comment requests. Bitmain also declined to respond to the latest inquiries.

Bitmain previously denied the allegations, calling the reports “seriously inconsistent with the facts and constitute false news.”

The company maintained that it “strictly complies with US and applicable laws and regulations and has never engaged in activities that pose risks to US national security.” Those statements were made in response to the Bloomberg News report last year.

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A May 2024 federal review had already flagged concerns about a Bitmain-operated site near a US military base, noting “significant national security concerns.”

A Senate Intelligence Committee report from July also named Bitmain’s devices as presenting “several disturbing vulnerabilities” to the US.

The report stated those devices could potentially be manipulated from China. These findings added weight to Warren’s request for answers.

Trump Family Ties to Bitmain Draw Scrutiny

Among Bitmain’s notable clients is American Bitcoin Corp., a firm connected to the Trump family. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are both investors in American Bitcoin.

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The company signed a contract to acquire 16,000 Bitmain rigs for $314 million last year. That deal drew attention given the ongoing federal interest in Bitmain.

A spokesman for American Bitcoin said the company had conducted extensive security tests on Bitmain’s devices. The tests found no vulnerabilities allowing remote access.

The spokesman stated the company believes that when Bitmain’s devices “are deployed within modern industrial security standards, they do not present a credible risk to the United States power grid or to national security.” American Bitcoin did not respond to the most recent requests for comment.

Warren’s letter asked Commerce to clarify what actions it has taken to prevent conflicts of interest. She specifically asked about steps taken to “insulate the Commerce Department’s national security decisions from the influence of firms that have business ties to the Trump family.”

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Commerce holds authority to investigate foreign threats to information and communications technology. However, Democrats remain in the Senate minority and cannot compel a formal response.

Warren made her position clear, writing that “we must ensure that politically connected crypto interests do not receive special treatment and undermine our national security.” The Commerce Department had not responded to comment requests at the time of publication.

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P2P.me Faces Insider Trading Allegations Over Polymarket Bets

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P2P.me, a cryptocurrency payments platform, is facing questions over a $20,000 Polymarket bet tied to its own fundraising campaign after disclosing that it traded on the outcome before the round opened publicly.

On March 27, P2P.me announced that it had liquidated a Polymarket betting position on its ability to meet its $6 million fundraising target. The company disclosed that it placed the bets 10 days before officially opening its funding round.

Big Polymarket Profit Sparks Insider Trading Debate

P2P.me admitted that, at the time the wagers were placed, it had already secured an oral commitment of $3 million from the venture capital firm Multicoin.

Some legal observers said the $3 million oral commitment could be viewed as material non-public information, though P2P.me said the absence of signed documents meant the outcome was still uncertain.

P2P.me further defended the trade and characterized the bet as a “vote of confidence.”

“We named the account “P2P Team” deliberately – to give a marketing signal of our presence to the community and reflect our intent to be transparent. But intent isn’t the same as action. Not disclosing at the time was a mistake we own. We took time to study the legal implications before speaking, which is why we stayed silent until now with a “No Comments” stance! – that too is a fair criticism,” it stated.

P2P.me eventually raised $5.2 million from outside investors, allowing the firm to close its Polymarket positions at $35,212. The trade generated a profit of roughly $14,700 from an initial entry of $20,500.

Following the backlash, some investors and industry insiders argued that the incident was being blown out of proportion. They attributed the trade to naiveté rather than malice.

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Simon Dedic, co-founder of Moonrock Capital and an investor in P2P.me, defended the team’s character and motive. According to him, the trade was a misguided “guerrilla marketing stunt” designed to show conviction.

“No one with any common sense would risk a $6 million raise over $15,000. The idea was to show such strong conviction in the sale that they’d even bet on themselves. This is exactly why they intentionally named the account ‘P2P team.’ Otherwise, you’d have to argue they’re the most incompetent insider traders of all time,” Dedic added.

Amid mounting criticism on the eve of its planned initial coin offering, P2P.me announced that it would route the proceeds from trading to the MetaDAO Treasury. The company clarified that MetaDAO had no prior knowledge of the trades.

This incident comes at a time when prediction markets are enjoying an explosive growth in the sector. Blockchain platform TRM Labs stated that the sector’s transaction volumes have surged from $1.2 billion in early 2025 to more than $20 billion by January 2026.

Prediction Markets Monthly Volume.
Prediction Markets Monthly Volume. Source: TRM Labs

Due to this rapid growth, there have been increasing regulatory concerns about decentralized prediction markets. Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have recently implemented stricter surveillance measures to curb insider trading.

The post P2P.me Faces Insider Trading Allegations Over Polymarket Bets appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Google, Banks to Back $5B Anthropic Data Center in Texas: Report

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OpenAI Wins Defense Contract After US Halts Anthropic Use

Google is preparing to support a multibillion-dollar data center project in Texas leased to Anthropic as competition for AI infrastructure accelerates.

The project, operated by Nexus Data Centers, could exceed $5 billion in its initial phase, with Google expected to provide construction loans, Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. A consortium of banks is also competing to arrange financing by mid-year, per the report.

According to the report, Anthropic recently signed a lease for the 2,800-acre campus, which forms part of its broader infrastructure tie-up with Google. Construction is already underway, supported by early-stage debt financing from Eagle Point, a publicly traded closed-end investment company.

The site is expected to deliver around 500 megawatts of capacity by late 2026, roughly equivalent to powering 500,000 homes, with potential expansion to 7.7 gigawatts. Its location is near major gas pipelines operated by companies including Enterprise Products Partners, Energy Transfer and Atmos Energy, allowing the project to rely on on-site gas turbines.

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Related: David Sacks’ 130-day term as Trump’s crypto and AI czar has ended

Judge blocks Pentagon ban on Anthropic

On Thursday, a US federal judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Pentagon from labeling Anthropic a national security risk and halting government use of its AI tools. Judge Rita Lin granted a preliminary injunction, pausing a directive backed by President Donald Trump that sought to cut off federal use of Anthropic’s chatbot, Claude.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Anthropic, which argued that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth overstepped his authority by designating the company a supply chain risk. The judge described the government’s actions as “arbitrary” and warned against branding a US company as a threat without clear legal basis.

The dispute followed a breakdown in negotiations between Anthropic and the Pentagon over the military use of its AI. The company resisted allowing its models to be used for lethal autonomous weapons or mass surveillance, leading to a broader standoff with the administration.

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Source: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

In her decision, Lin said the government may have retaliated against Anthropic for its public stance, calling the measures a likely violation of First Amendment protections.

Related: CFTC Chair Selig says blockchain could help verify AI-generated content

US military used Anthropic AI in Iran strike

As Cointelegraph reported, US military units reportedly used Anthropic’s Claude AI model during a major airstrike on Iran, even after the ban order by Trump. Military commands, including US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East, reportedly used the AI model for operational support

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