AI Labs Face Pressure to Grant Trusted Access to Crypto Defenders
Crypto heavyweights have called on AI labs to grant vetted Bitcoin and open-source financial infrastructure developers trusted access to their most advanced models.
The request, made by the Bitcoin Policy Institute, comes amid a brutal year for crypto security. In April 2026, more than $634 million was stolen from cryptocurrency platforms, the highest monthly total since the Bybit hack in February 2025.
The letter, co-signed by companies including Anchorage Digital, BitGo, Kraken, MARA, Ledger, and Trezor, argues that Bitcoin's maintainers are often excluded from specialist cyber programs and blocked by guardrails on public AI systems. Cathie Wood endorsed the letter, describing Bitcoin as 'critical public financial infrastructure.'
The proposal would allow security researchers and maintainers who pass vetting procedures to use capabilities that may otherwise be restricted by built-in safeguards or unavailable through existing cyber programs.