1 hour ago
24
The CIA’s general counsel has reportedly described Bitcoin as a tool for intelligence gathering, reinforcing a position the US intelligence community has been quietly building for years: the world’s largest cryptocurrency is not truly anonymous, and that’s actually useful for national security.
The intelligence community’s Bitcoin playbook
Former acting CIA Director Michael Morell stated back in April 2021 that blockchain analytics are “highly effective” at combatting crime. He specifically praised firms like Chainalysis, which have built an entire industry around tracing cryptocurrency transactions that users assumed were invisible.
CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis reinforced this framing in April 2025, noting that Bitcoin is primarily a tool used by “good people” and highlighting its traceable nature. The transparent ledger, in the agency’s view, isn’t a bug. It’s a feature, at least for those in the business of surveillance.
Bitcoin’s blockchain is, by design, a permanent public record of every transaction ever made. The pseudonymous layer, where wallets are identified by alphanumeric strings rather than names, offered early users a sense of privacy. But pseudonymous is not anonymous, and the gap between those two words has become an entire sector of the compliance industry.
When the FBI seized billions in Bitcoin from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attackers in 2021, it wasn’t magic. It was chain analysis. The public ledger made it possible.
Joshua Simmons was confirmed as CIA General Counsel in early 2026, following Senate nomination hearings in October 2025. The role sits at the intersection of legal authority and intelligence operations, making any statements from that office about financial technology particularly significant for how crypto regulation evolves.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·