A graduate thesis may not sound like a page-turner to many readers, but a lengthy scholarly dissertation on Bitcoin published by a U.S. The Space Force major has emerged as a popular Amazon choice.
According to “Softwar,” Bitcoin has the potential to play a significant role on the world’s geopolitical stage as a military-grade solution for safeguarding information—far different from the monetary application Bitcoin’s network now has.
The study, written by Jason Lowery, is the result of his academic research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during a 6-month fellowship sponsored by the Department of Defense. The article’s full title is “Softwar: A New Theory on Power Projection and Bitcoin’s National Strategic Importance.”
According to Lowrey’s Amazon biography, he has counseled various high US officials on Bitcoin policy in offices relating to the president, Secretary of Defense, and Joint Chiefs of Staff. Though “Softwar” does not rank among the top 500 books on Amazon, Lowery’s examination of Bitcoin has lingered near the top of Amazon’s digital currencies category and is presently ranked second in both books on technology and engineering.
Lowery’s “Power Projection Theory” is established and explored in the more than 350-page tome, which draws on information from many subjects such as anthropology and computer science. Lowery basically claims that the proof-of-work method behind Bitcoin transaction verification can be used by military authorities to impose non-lethal constraints on bad actors by requiring a significant amount of physical work in the form of number crunching.
“The basic line is that Bitcoin could represent a’softwar’ or electrical cyber-defense mechanism, rather than just a peer-to-peer electronic currency system,” according to the book. “Whereas most software can only confine computers intellectually, Bitcoin can physically constrain computers.” The acknowledgements portion of the book acknowledges some of Bitcoin’s most ardent supporters, including MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor and Peter McCormack.
Lowrey also warns in his article that insufficient Bitcoin reserves kept on behalf of the US government could constitute a hazard to national security if the network is used as a cyber-security weapon. “If the United States does not contemplate storing strategic Bitcoin reserves, or at the very least pushing Bitcoin acceptance,” he stated, “the United States risks forfeiting a strategically crucial power […] and regaining world power domination.”
Given that Lowrey’s theory was published in February and that the United States announced the sale of $215 million in seized Bitcoin last month, it’s possible that not every Fed is on the same page.
The book also includes a disclaimer stating that the article does not represent the official position of the DoD, Air Force, or MIT.
The majority of the more than 200 Amazon reviews for “Softwar” gave the book five stars.
Nonetheless, some critics claim that Lowrey’s work falls short owing to “too much wishful thinking,” “arguments based on opinion,” and “The Matrix” quotes that “detract from the severity of the matter.”
