Cathie Wood Urges AI Labs to Grant Bitcoin Security Researchers Model Access

Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Invest, has designated Bitcoin as "critical public financial infrastructure," arguing that its defenders require access to the world's most advanced artificial intelligence. Wood is calling on frontier AI labs to provide trusted access to their most powerful models for the open-source researchers tasked with securing the network.

Supporting an open letter from @bitcoinpolicy, Wood is urging leading AI developers—specifically OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind—to establish formal pathways for security researchers. The initiative seeks to ensure that those protecting Bitcoin's infrastructure can utilize the same high-level AI capabilities that may be leveraged by adversaries. "Bitcoin is critical public financial infrastructure, and those who protect Bitcoin should be granted trusted access to the most powerful existing AI models," Wood stated.

The Defensive AI Gap

This request arrives as concerns mount over the use of AI by attackers to target global financial systems. Because Bitcoin operates as a foundational piece of the modern financial landscape, Wood argues that a disparity in AI access creates a systemic vulnerability. While attackers may use frontier models to find exploits or automate attacks, the open-source community defending the network often lacks the same level of computational and model-based support.

A Shift in Crypto-AI Strategy

This move signals a strategic pivot in how the intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence is viewed. Rather than treating AI primarily as a tool for algorithmic trading or software development, Wood is framing it as a necessary defensive utility essential for systemic financial stability. This perspective elevates the security of the Bitcoin network from a niche technical concern to a matter of broader public financial interest.

The Open-Source Tension

The proposal highlights a growing tension between the operational philosophies of the two industries. Frontier AI labs typically maintain closed-door, proprietary environments to manage safety and commercial interests. In contrast, Bitcoin relies on a transparent, open-source security model. The request for "trusted access" attempts to bridge this gap, suggesting a middle ground where vetted researchers can use closed models to protect an open system.

What to Watch

It remains to be seen whether OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google DeepMind will respond to the open letter or establish the requested access pathways. The outcome will likely serve as a bellwether for whether AI labs are willing to collaborate with open-source security communities to protect global financial infrastructure, or if they will maintain their current restrictive access policies.