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Texas Representative Lance Gooden Says Bitcoin Has Become a U.S. National Security Issue

According to Pete Hegseth’s House Armed Services Committee testimony, the Pentagon is running classified Bitcoin programs focused on both enabling the technology and countering it, reinforcing Bitcoin’s emerging role in U.S. national security planning.

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Fact Check
Multiple independent and corroborating sources confirm the claim. The original Bitcoin Magazine tweet (https://x.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/2049951115270381654) directly quotes Hegseth as saying the US should secure a strategic advantage in Bitcoin and that he is a 'long enthusiast' of BTC. The Forbes article corroborates this with a direct quote from a House Armed Services Committee hearing. The Rev.com transcript page confirms the hearing took place on 2026-04-30 with Hegseth testifying on the 2027 Pentagon budget. Dozens of independent X posts from unrelated accounts all consistently report the same quotes, leaving very little room for fabrication. The claim accurately reflects what Hegseth said.
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Summary

Representative Lance Gooden’s broader claim that Bitcoin has become a U.S. national security issue gained new support from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s April 30 testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, where he said the Pentagon is running classified Bitcoin programs on two operational tracks: enabling the technology and countering it. The new report adds a direct congressional-hearing reference to earlier claims about classified U.S. Bitcoin-related activity, though it still does not provide operational details, timelines, or specific agencies beyond the Pentagon. Earlier reporting cited Gooden describing Bitcoin as a "geopolitical weapon" in strategic competition involving China, Iran, and North Korea, and referenced Admiral Samuel Paparo’s testimony that U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has a node on the Bitcoin network. Estimates cited previously said China holds about 194,000 BTC and the United States about 328,000 BTC.

Terms & Concepts
  • Bitcoin: A decentralized digital asset that operates on a public blockchain without direct control by a central authority.
  • Bitcoin node: A computer that participates in the Bitcoin network by validating and relaying transactions and blocks, helping maintain the blockchain.
  • Strategic reserve: Assets held by a state or institution for financial, economic, or geopolitical purposes, often to strengthen resilience or influence.