Bitmain под прицелом: США исследует угрозы национальной безопасности в связи с китайским майнером Headline: Bitmain Under Scrutiny: US Investigates National Security Threats Linked to Chinese Miner

The largest Bitcoin mining hardware manufacturer, Bitmain, has become a subject of a U.S. government investigation due to potential national security risks. This information was reported by Bloomberg.

According to the agency’s sources, concerns arose last year regarding the use of Chinese company’s equipment at a mining facility located near a military base.

In July of this year, Bitmain was mentioned in a Senate Intelligence Committee report. Experts expressed that the company’s devices might be susceptible to manipulation from China, presenting “a series of alarming vulnerabilities” for the United States.

All this time, Bitmain has been under investigation dubbed «Operation Red Dawn,» led by agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Investigators aimed to determine whether mining equipment could be remotely controlled for espionage or sabotage against the American energy grid.

The operation commenced during Joe Biden’s presidency and extended at least into the early months of Donald Trump’s administration.

The seizures of Bitmain equipment shipments imported to the U.S. since last autumn were also part of the inquiry. In some instances, specialists disassembled ASIC miners to examine chips and code for malicious functions. Bloomberg’s sources declined to discuss any findings. Investigators also reviewed shipments for potential customs violations.

Bitmain stated that they were not aware of any actions taken by the authorities regarding the company. Representatives attributed the equipment seizures to standard procedures of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which ultimately “found nothing unusual.”

According to Bloomberg, the current status of «Operation Red Dawn» remains unclear. Such investigations can span several years and may not result in public actions. A high-ranking official from the Trump administration declined to comment on the case, stating only:

“The U.S. government is concerned about threats of this nature and constantly monitors them closely.”

Journalists highlighted that the investigation is drawing public attention due to Bitmain’s business ties with Donald Trump’s sons’ company, American Bitcoin. This company was established as a subsidiary of the Bitcoin miner Hut 8 in March.

In August, American Bitcoin signed a contract with the Chinese manufacturer for 16,000 Antminer units for $314 million. To secure the equipment, the American firm provided a deposit of 2,234 BTC under undisclosed public terms.

Bloomberg reported that over the summer, another crypto project associated with the Trumps received vital support from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance in launching its own stablecoin. Subsequently, Trump pardoned the platform’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, who had previously served time for a felony.

“The president and his family have never been involved, nor will they be involved, in conflicts of interest,” stated White House press secretary Caroline Livitt.

It is worth noting that in May 2024, President Biden signed an executive order prohibiting the Chinese mining company MineOne from owning a facility near an Air Force base in Wyoming.

It turned out that the facility was already in the process of being sold to the American firm CleanSpark.