Bitcoin Coalition Calls for Access to the Same AI Tools Used by Attackers

• They are asking AI labs for a direct channel of priority access for open-source defenders.
• The Bitcoin Red Team identified nearly 8,000 vulnerabilities following the hack of Coldcard hardware wallets.

An extensive coalition made up of over 80 companies, non-profit organizations, and developers from the bitcoin (BTC) ecosystem published an open letter on August 10, 2026, addressed to cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) labs and researchers.

The letter, led by the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), formally requests the establishment of permanent and prioritized access programs for defenders of open-source financial infrastructure.

The demand arises in a critical context of cybersecurity. Following the recent cyberattack on Coldcard hardware wallets—which resulted in the theft of over 2,000 BTC—auditor groups like the Bitcoin Red Team intensified code scanning to secure the ecosystem, identifying nearly 8,000 vulnerabilities in open-source projects.

However, as reported by CriptoNoticias, researchers have denounced operational barriers imposed by U.S. tech companies.

Recently, Rob Hamilton, one of the leaders of the audit team, revealed that OpenAI suspended its service due to a supposed cyber policy risk while analyzing code for vulnerabilities, forcing analysts to resort to alternative models from Chinese sources like Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8 to continue their protection work.

The open letter warns that advanced AI tools are transforming the speed of cyber operations.

As digital currency is a bearer asset, a successful attack immediately translates into irreparable losses for millions of users who safeguard their savings.

According to the document, while malicious actors use AI capabilities to sustain massive attacks, open-source developers (including Bitcoin Core maintainers) lack smooth and formal access to the most powerful models on the market.

Without specific access programs, security personnel may lack the necessary tools to confront the constantly evolving threats to the infrastructure they maintain, the statement from the Washington D.C.-based entity notes.

The BPI added that the operational pressure on teams is evident, as responding to ongoing attacks diverts limited human resources that should be dedicated to software development.

Among the specific requests sent to AI development firms are:

• Early and unlimited access to models with high cyber capabilities, including pre-commercial release versions.
• Sufficient processing capacity and support for the long-term use of autonomous agents for deep code reviews.
• Secure testing environments (sandboxes) to analyze private code or code under security embargoes.
• Direct communication channels for the coordinated disclosure of bugs and vulnerabilities with the teams of the labs themselves.

Among the signatories of the document are major industry players such as Coinbase, Kraken, BitGo, Ledger, Trezor, MARA, Galaxy, and Ark Invest, as well as research and open-source development entities like Chaincode Labs, OpenSats, Brink (B Trust), and the Vinteum project.

The signatories emphasized that the digital asset industry is ready to collaborate in selecting trusted participants and establishing security standards. With this united front, the sector seeks to level the technological playing field against the growing automation of cyberattacks.

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