Bitmain под прицелом расследования США: угроза национальной безопасности Translation: Bitmain Under Investigation by the U.S.: A National Security Threat

The leading manufacturer of Bitcoin miners, Bitmain, has come under investigation by U.S. authorities due to potential national security concerns. This was reported by Bloomberg.

According to sources from the agency, there were «serious concerns» raised last year regarding the use of the Chinese company’s equipment at a mining site located near a military base.

In July of this year, Bitmain was mentioned in a report by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Experts claimed that the firm’s devices could be subject to manipulation from China and pose «a range of alarming vulnerabilities» for the United States.

Throughout this period, Bitmain has been at the center of an investigation dubbed «Operation Red Dawn,» led by agents from the Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the investigators was to determine whether mining equipment could be remotely controlled for the purpose of espionage or sabotage against the American power grid.

This operation began during President Joe Biden’s administration and continued at least into the early months of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The seizure of batches of Bitmain equipment imported into the U.S. since last autumn was also part of the investigation. In some instances, specialists disassembled ASIC miners to check the chips and code for malicious functions. Bloomberg’s sources declined to comment on the findings. Investigators were also looking into shipments for potential customs violations.

Bitmain has stated that they are unaware of any actions by authorities regarding the company. Representatives of the manufacturer attributed the impounding of equipment to standard procedures by 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 last for years and may not result in public actions. A senior Trump administration official declined to comment on the case, stating only:

«The U.S. government is concerned about threats of this nature and continuously monitors them closely.»

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

In August, American Bitcoin signed a contract with the Chinese manufacturer to supply 16,000 Antminer units for $314 million. To acquire the equipment, the American firm made a deposit of 2234 BTC under undisclosed public terms.

Bloomberg reports that during the summer, another cryptocurrency project associated with the Trumps received crucial support from the exchange Binance in launching its own stablecoin. Subsequently, Trump pardoned the platform’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, who had previously served time for a criminal offense.

«Neither the President nor his family have ever engaged in or will participate in any conflicts of interest,» stated White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt.

Recall that in May 2024, President Biden signed an order banning the Chinese mining company MineOne from owning a facility near a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming.

It later emerged that the site was already in the process of being sold to American firm CleanSpark.