Bitcoin developers seek frontier AI access to counter cyber threats

More than 40 cryptocurrency organizations, led by the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), have issued an open letter urging artificial intelligence laboratories to provide vetted security researchers with early access to frontier AI models. The coalition argues that the current disparity in AI access creates a dangerous security gap: while attackers can use advanced models to rapidly identify vulnerabilities in open-source code, legitimate defenders like Bitcoin Core developers are often restricted by safety guardrails on public AI systems.

Because Bitcoin secures over $1 trillion in assets, the BPI warns that maintainers may be forced to rely on weaker, open-weight models, leaving them unable to keep pace with sophisticated cyber threats, potentially including those from foreign adversaries. The group is requesting “standing trusted-access programs” that would allow qualified researchers to undergo evaluation processes to gain access to high-level capabilities, including computing power and secure environments, specifically for the purpose of defending critical financial infrastructure.

Signatories to the request include major industry players such as Coinbase, BitGo, Block, Trezor, Kraken, Ledger, and Blockstream. The appeal comes amid rising cybercrime in the sector, with reports noting significant monthly losses in cryptocurrency platforms during early 2026.