Sen. Elizabeth Warren has asked the U.S. Commerce Department to disclose how it is handling potential national security risks related to Bitmain, the Chinese manufacturer that supplies a large share of the world’s Bitcoin mining equipment. In a letter sent Thursday to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Warren requested documents and communications concerning the company and its U.S. connections.
According to reports, U.S. authorities opened a probe in November, called “Operation Red Sunset” and led by the Department of Homeland Security, to examine whether Bitmain’s ASIC mining machines could be accessed remotely for espionage or used to interfere with the U.S. power grid. The investigation is said to be unresolved and its current status unclear; such national-security reviews can continue for years without public disclosure or charges.
The renewed scrutiny follows earlier federal actions, including halted shipments of Bitmain equipment and a separate inquiry into a related Chinese chip firm over alleged links to the sanctioned company Huawei. A 2024 federal review also highlighted the use of Bitmain machines near a U.S. military base as raising “significant national security concerns.”
Bitmain has reportedly been preparing to open its first U.S.-based ASIC manufacturing facility, with chip production expected to begin in early 2026 and scale up during the year. Its mining rigs are widely used in the industry, including by American Bitcoin Corp., a firm whose investors reportedly include Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.; that company agreed last year to purchase 16,000 Bitmain rigs in a $314 million deal.
Warren’s letter seeks any communications between Bitmain, the Trump family and Commerce officials, and asks what steps the department has taken to ensure national security decisions are insulated from political influence. Cointelegraph contacted Warren and Bitmain for comment but had not received responses by publication.