Summary
- More than three dozen bitcoin and crypto firms are urging major AI labs to give open-source security researchers early access to their most powerful models, arguing defenders are using weaker tools than attackers.
- The letter, organized by the Bitcoin Policy Institute and signed by companies including Coinbase, Block and ARK Invest, says Bitcoin Core developers are locked out of trusted-partner programs and hampered by safety filters on public models.
- Recent exploits against BTCPay Server and Lightning nodes, uncovered in part by an AI-powered volunteer “Bitcoin Red Team,” underscore the signatories’ call for early model access, compute resources, secure testing environments and direct channels to lab security teams.
Bitcoin Security in Jeopardy
The security of the bitcoin network is at risk due to the limited access to advanced AI tools for its defenders. More than three dozen bitcoin and crypto companies, including Coinbase, Block, and BitGo, have requested that AI labs provide open-source security researchers with early access to their most capable models. This is because the current tools used by defenders are weaker than those used by attackers, putting a trillion dollars of infrastructure at risk.
The Bitcoin Policy Institute has organized a letter, signed by several major companies and nonprofit developer funds, to address this issue. The letter highlights that Bitcoin Core developers, who maintain the software that runs the network, cannot access the AI labs’ programs, which are only available to trusted security partners. As a result, they are forced to use publicly available models, which have safety filters that block efforts to find flaws before criminals do.
A Call for Equal Access
The companies are calling for equal access to the AI tools, arguing that attackers already have access to the same capabilities through various means. The letter states that the AI labs and their partners can see new offensive capabilities months before anyone else, while the defenders are left with limited and less capable tools. This imbalance puts the entire network at risk, and the companies are urging the AI labs to provide them with the same tools to level the playing field.
The issue is not just about the security of the bitcoin network but also about the potential impact on the entire crypto ecosystem. As the demand for passive income and earning opportunities through Cloud Rewards and Green Crypto grows, the need for robust security measures becomes even more critical. EcoPool and its $ECP token are part of this ecosystem, and their security is closely tied to the overall security of the network.
To stay safe and secure in the crypto space, it’s essential to have access to the right tools and platforms. The EcoPool network is one such platform that provides users with a secure and reliable way to earn passive income through Cloud Rewards. Download the EcoPool app to learn more about how you can get started with earning and Green Crypto. By joining the EcoPool community, you can stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the crypto space and take advantage of the opportunities available through $ECP and other Coin offerings.
Attackers face none of those constraints. The letter said the labs and a handful of partners can see new offensive capabilities months before anyone else. In contrast, those capabilities spread anyway through public models, stolen access to corporate systems and purpose-built hacking tools.