Неопределенность вокруг Bitmain: США продолжают расследование в области национальной безопасности Translation: Uncertainty Surrounds Bitmain: U.S. Continues Investigation into National Security Issues

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

According to agency sources, last year there were «significant concerns» regarding the use of units from the Chinese company at a mining site near a military base.

In July of this year, Bitmain was mentioned in a Senate Intelligence Committee report, where experts argued that the company’s devices might be vulnerable to manipulation from China and pose «a range of alarming vulnerabilities» to the United States.

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

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

The seizure of shipments of Bitmain equipment imported to the U.S. since last fall has also been part of the investigation. In some instances, specialists disassembled ASIC miners to inspect chips and code for malicious features. Bloomberg’s insiders declined to discuss the findings. Investigators also examined the shipments for potential customs violations.

Bitmain stated that it was unaware of any ongoing actions by the authorities against the company. The equipment’s detentions were attributed by the manufacturer’s representatives to routine procedures of the Federal Communications Commission, which ultimately «found nothing unusual.»

According to Bloomberg, the current status of «Operation Red Dawn» remains unclear. Such investigations can take years and may not lead to public actions. A senior Trump administration official declined to comment on the matter, stating only:

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

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

In August, American Bitcoin signed a deal with the Chinese manufacturer for the supply of 16,000 Antminer units valued at $314 million. To secure the acquisition, the American company provided a pledge of 2,234 BTC under undisclosed public terms.

Bloomberg reported that last summer another Trump-related cryptocurrency project received crucial assistance from the crypto exchange Binance in launching its own stablecoin. Subsequently, Trump pardoned the platform’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, who had previously served time for a felony.

«Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged in, nor will they engage in, any 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 a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming.

It was revealed that the facility was already in the process of being sold to the American company CleanSpark.