Crypto Firms Ask AI Labs for Early Access to Bitcoin Developers

A coalition of crypto firms and industry groups has asked frontier AI labs to grant Bitcoin developers and other open-source maintainers early access to their most capable models.

The call comes in a letter published by the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), arguing that public access and 'guardrails' on top-tier systems can leave key defenders reliant on less capable alternatives.

The BPI and signatories say many people responsible for maintaining critical digital infrastructure, including Bitcoin Core developers, may not have the ability to run high-end AI tools against complex codebases. This can slow security research and reduce defenders' ability to respond as threats evolve.

The letter argues that open-source financial infrastructure defenders often lack early access to frontier AI tools needed to keep pace with escalating cyber threats.