Overview
- Federal agents have examined Bitmain’s mining rigs for potential remote manipulation that could enable espionage or disrupt the power grid.
- Some shipments were stopped at U.S. ports and torn down so chips and firmware could be tested for hidden capabilities.
- The inquiry has run across the Biden and early Trump administrations with related policy discussions at the National Security Council.
- A July Senate Intelligence Committee report warned of “disturbing vulnerabilities,” citing risks near sensitive sites such as a Wyoming missile base.
- Bitmain denies the allegations as “unequivocally false,” while investigators also review possible tariff and import‑tax violations tied to the company’s hardware; a Trump family‑backed venture’s purchase of 16,000 Bitmain units has drawn added attention.