Bitcoin Firms Seek AI Tools to Fight Cyber Threats

More than three dozen Bitcoin and crypto firms are asking major AI labs for early access to their most powerful models. Companies like Coinbase, Block, and BitGo signed a letter, arguing that current safety guardrails on AI models hinder legitimate security work. They say adversaries already use advanced tools, while defenders are limited. The letter, organized by the Bitcoin Policy Institute, highlights that Bitcoin Core developers are excluded from trusted-partner programs and face issues with safety filters on public AI models. Recent exploits against BTCPay Server and Lightning nodes, partly uncovered by an AI-powered volunteer "Bitcoin Red Team," emphasize this need. The firms are requesting early model access, computing resources, secure testing environments, and direct communication channels with AI lab security teams. This aims to help them find flaws before criminals exploit them.