Key Takeaways
- •U.S. officials have been secretly investigating Bitmain hardware for possible national-security risks.
- •Bitmain denies any ability to remotely control mining devices or ties to the Chinese government.
- •The issue gained more attention after a Trump-connected venture bought thousands of Bitmain machines.
The Beijing-headquartered manufacturer, best known for supplying the hardware that powers the majority of the world’s bitcoin mining operations, has become the subject of a quiet but far-reaching security inquiry inside the United States, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Rather than emerging suddenly, the concern has been building for more than a year. Lawmakers and intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that bitcoin mining infrastructure could create a new category of cyber and energy-grid vulnerabilities if the equipment is manufactured or remotely accessible by entities linked to foreign governments.
Background Tensions Escalate After Reports of Facilities Near Sensitive U.S. Locations
The alarm bells rang loudly in 2023 after reporting surfaced that several mining sites with ties to China were operating uncomfortably close to critical military and technology hubs — including a property neighboring a Microsoft data center that provides services to the Pentagon and another near a nuclear missile base in Wyoming. Much of the hardware deployed at these mines was manufactured by Bitmain, reinforcing U.S. fears that bitcoin mining could one day become a national-security vector rather than a purely economic issue.
That framing resurfaced months later when the Senate Intelligence Committee described Bitmain’s equipment as having “disturbing vulnerabilities” and raised the possibility that the machines could be manipulated remotely.
“Operation Red Sunset”: The Investigation No One Knew About
Behind the scenes, the Department of Homeland Security has been conducting a classified inquiry nicknamed Operation Red Sunset, Bloomberg reported. According to officials who spoke about the matter, the investigation was launched to determine whether Bitmain’s devices contain backdoor access mechanisms or components that could threaten the U.S. power grid.
The probe has been unusually broad. Machines imported into the United States have been seized at ports for chip and firmware inspections, and the investigation has also examined whether import-duty and tariff rules were violated. The timeline stretches across two administrations — beginning while Joe Biden was in office and continuing into the early months of the Trump presidency — suggesting that the security concerns have been treated as structural rather than political.
Nothing has been disclosed regarding the findings, and the current status of the investigation remains unknown. DHS declined to answer questions.
Bitmain Rejects Every Allegation
The company denies both the premise and the details of the inquiry. Bitmain told Bloomberg that it has never violated U.S. regulations and that claims suggesting its hardware can be remotely controlled are “unequivocally false.” It also said it was unaware of anything called Operation Red Sunset and described previous hardware inspections as standard FCC procedures unrelated to national security.
Bitmain further rejected suggestions that it maintains links to the Chinese government, calling those claims inaccurate and politically motivated.
A Complicating Factor: Major Purchases by Trump-Linked Mining Venture
The matter has gained additional attention because of the Trump family’s growing footprint in the bitcoin-mining sector. American Bitcoin — a joint venture involving Donald Trump’s sons and Hut 8 — purchased 16,000 Bitmain rigs for $314 million in August, according to SEC filings. The company told journalists that it conducted extensive security evaluations and found no evidence of remote-access risks.
Officials within the Trump administration have dismissed speculation that political connections could influence federal probes or enforcement.
A Broader Question Looms for the U.S.
Regardless of what investigators ultimately conclude, the situation highlights a rapidly evolving issue: bitcoin mining is no longer seen as just a commercial activity. Hardware supply chains, energy consumption, geographic placement of facilities, and ownership structures are now being evaluated as strategic considerations — especially when they intersect with foreign influence.
Bitmain sits at the center of that conversation. And unless the results of Operation Red Sunset are made public, the debate surrounding the company — and the role of international mining infrastructure in U.S. national security — is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.