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Andrew Bustamante, a former CIA intelligence officer, has revealed that he has a number of concerns about blockchain technology and its implications for national security. During a question and answer session on Reddit, she detailed her thoughts on the intelligence community and on a range of technology-related issues.
In a sub-thread, Bustamante casually noticed the issues related to blockchain technology. When asked what he thought would become "the biggest threat to [American] national security in the coming years, "Bustamante replied that he had concerns about" blockchain technology ":
"No joke, super powerful stuff, and the first to figure out how to hack it, manipulate it or bring it down by winning."
However, unraveling exactly what Bustamante intended with this statement is not exactly simple. Of course, Reddit's subreddit & # 39; s / r / AMA has an informal atmosphere, but Bustamante's statement is not entirely without substance. So, what could Bustamante mean when he decided that blockchain technology poses a threat?
Blockchain: threat or vulnerability?
Blockchain technology has often been described as a threat to national security due to its ability to circumvent regulations and its potential uses in terrorism, money laundering and crime. In other words, national security concerns usually derive from the improper use of blockchain technology by foreign actors.
Bustamante's statement, however, seems to imply that a significant failure in the integrity of the blockchain is the problem in question. In other words, blockchain technology is a vulnerability rather than a threat. And indeed, 51% of the attacks, price manipulation and multi-million dollar vulnerabilities have already been exploited repeatedly.
But the fear of Bustamante that something can "break down" the blockchain suggests a more complete threat. When a user suggested that the problem of quantum computing was actually the problem, Bustamante agreed. Quantum computing could potentially break the cryptographic schemes used to store cryptocurrency, even if it is guessed by anyone if this is actually what originally Bustamante had in mind.
The CIA and the Crypto world
In any case, the questions and answers sessions on the Reddit / r / AMA threads are quick and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Although they contain verified participants with relatively high credentials, these participants do not necessarily provide definitive insights into each comment. The opinions of Bustamante certainly do not represent the opinions of the CIA itself.
The CIA, perhaps not surprisingly, was mostly silent on the themes of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At most, a blogger managed to convince the intelligence organization not to confirm or deny having collected information on the creator of Bitcoin Satoshi Nakamoto.
The former members of the CIA, on the other hand, are quite active in the blockchain sphere. The former CIA analyst Yaya Fenusie, for example, writes regularly on cryptographic subjects. Fenusie expressed concern that the cryptocurrency could be used to support authoritarian regimes in Iran, but remains confident that the crypt is not a threat in itself.
Other former CIA members have also entered the encrypted world, engaging with regulatory compliance and investment platforms. Moreover, these individuals seem to be more specialized in crypto-adjacent areas than Bustamante. In essence, the CIA – despite its legendary status – has produced former members with different areas of expertise, just like any other large employer.
