[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong] U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (신시아 루미스) called on the U.S. Congress to pass the Clarity Act, describing bitcoin (BTC) as a tool for national security and cyber defence.

On April 23, blockchain media outlet BeInCrypto reported that Lummis said the United States should accept bitcoin as a strategic asset after testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee by Adm. Samuel Paparo (새뮤얼 파파로).

The issue is not bitcoin’s price, but its potential use inside military and security infrastructure. Paparo said at an April 21 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is operating real-time bitcoin nodes and is testing use of the protocol for military network security. He explained that proof-of-work protocols impose higher costs on attackers than existing algorithm-centred network defence.

Lummis posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, praising Paparo’s assessment. She said she was “very deeply impressed” by his foresight and his remarks about using bitcoin for national security. She said, “We are watching digital assets become integrated into the global power infrastructure,” adding, “Now is the time to bring it back to the U.S. homeland.” She also stressed, “We must protect America’s future by passing the Clarity Act.”

Lummis also renewed pressure on the bill’s timeline. She has previously warned that if the Senate Banking Committee fails to move the bill forward by April 25, legislative momentum could disappear until at least 2030. Lummis said it is the “last chance to pass the Clarity Act before 2030” and added, “We cannot give up America’s financial future.”

The Clarity Act is legislation to overhaul the market structure for digital assets in the United States, and is being cited as a framework for bringing the related industry into the country. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (스콧 베센트) has also defined the bill as a national security priority. He said the U.S. Congress has for years tried to create an institutional framework to keep the foundation of future finance in the United States, and argued that the Senate Banking Committee must now begin reviewing the bill.

Pressure from the industry is also growing. More than 120 groups, including the Blockchain Association and the Crypto Innovation Council, called on the Senate Banking Committee to proceed with reviewing market structure legislation. The Blockchain Association said, “After bipartisan efforts, Congress has reached an important moment,” and added, “The United States needs clear and durable rules that protect consumers, provide predictability, and strengthen U.S. leadership in digital asset innovation.”

Against this backdrop, bitcoin is emerging as an agenda item linking U.S. security systems with discussions on digital asset regulation. The next points to watch are whether Congress will speed up action on the Clarity Act before April 25 and what role bitcoin’s proof-of-work structure will take in discussions on military network security.