US senator urges probe into Bitmain security risks

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has asked the Department of Commerce to review its handling of national security risks associated with Chinese mining rig manufacturer Bitmain, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, Warren sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding the release of investigation materials and internal communications related to Bitmain. She also questioned the department's plans to counter the potential for Bitmain's mining equipment to be used for espionage or to disrupt the U.S. power grid. Previously, U.S. authorities conducted an investigation known as "Operation Red Sunset," which focused on security vulnerabilities in Bitmain's ASIC mining equipment. The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security, but its conclusions have not been made public. The inquiry comes as Bitmain is pursuing the establishment of its first ASIC mining equipment production facility in the U.S. The situation is also drawing attention to potential political conflicts of interest, as a U.S. Bitcoin mining firm backed by the Trump family has been confirmed to use the company's equipment.