A senior CIA official has stated that the agency is actively using cryptocurrencies to track US adversaries
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are “perfectly suited” for intelligence activities, said Michael Ellis, deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in a podcast with Anthony Pompliano, head of Professional Capital Management. He also said that the CIA uses Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as a tool to combat US adversaries.
Michael Ellis was appointed deputy director of the CIA in February 2025 by President Donald Trump. At the time, Trump called Ellis a “smart and respected lawyer” who would help restore the effectiveness of the intelligence agency. During Trump's first term, Ellis served on the White House National Security Council and, according to Trump, helped uncover abuses by the Obama administration in the “Russian interference” case, which Trump called a hoax.
U.S. law enforcement agencies are “thrilled” about the possibility of using Bitcoin to track criminal activity, Ellis said. The CIA itself, he said, views Bitcoin in a similar light because of its ability to track transactions. He confirmed that the CIA regularly works with law enforcement agencies to track illegal crypto payments.
Bitcoin is an important tool for intelligence gathering
Cryptocurrency is “another area of technological competition” in which the US must not fall behind, Ellis explained, stressing that President Donald Trump's administration must not allow the US to fall behind China and other adversaries in the field of technology.
During his election campaign, Trump noted the role of cryptocurrencies in the confrontation between major powers.
“If we don't do it, China will. If we don't do it, we won't be the greatest,” Trump said in the context of his intention to make the US the world's largest crypto hub.
Referring to the capabilities of cryptocurrencies, Ellis noted the enormous potential for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track the actions of adversaries and destabilize them. He also emphasized that the CIA uses these technologies as “another tool in the toolbox” to combat US adversaries.
In addition to cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin being an excellent tool for law enforcement and intelligence, Ellis is convinced that the crypto market is firmly entrenched in the global financial system.
“Bitcoin is here to stay. Cryptocurrencies are here to stay. More and more institutions are adopting them. I think it's a great trend,” he said.
Role of the CIA in the creation of Bitcoin
It is noteworthy that the CIA representative's comments and opinion on Bitcoin were voiced in a podcast on the anniversary of the disappearance of Bitcoin's anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Fourteen years ago, on April 26, 2011, Satoshi stopped posting messages in private correspondence and thematic forums where the main cryptocurrency was discussed.
In one of his last messages on April 23, 2011, Satoshi wrote that he had “moved on to other things and that Bitcoin was in the capable hands of Gavin and everyone else.”
Gavin Andresen is an American developer who has been involved in the development of Bitcoin since 2010. In 2011, Satoshi himself named him the lead developer of Bitcoin Core (Bitcoin software).
On April 27, 2011, Andresen publicly announced that he would give a presentation on Bitcoin at the CIA headquarters in June at a conference on new technologies for the US intelligence community. Bitcoin is “already on their radar,” he wrote, explaining his decision.
At the same conference, Andresen even managed to sell some Bitcoin to a CIA agent, according to a quote from Blockworks: “A few people came up to me afterwards and said that Bitcoin was really cool. One interesting case: I actually sold some Bitcoin to one of the CIA guys.”
Many speculate that it was the fact that Andresen was invited to speak at the CIA that may have influenced Satoshi's decision to cease public activity. At the same time, a theory emerged that Bitcoin was a CIA project.
Journalist Tucker Carlson gave it new momentum during a closed panel discussion at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in the summer of 2024. “It's obviously the CIA, we all know that. It's like [messenger app] Signal, they got there first. It's a trap!” he said from the stage, while clarifying that cryptocurrency is ”the world's best tool for financial sovereignty.”
