Internet reports that Michael Ellis, deputy director of the CIA, said that the CIA is increasingly using Bitcoin as a tool for its operations, and the use of cryptocurrencies is related to national security. Ellis said intelligence agencies work with law enforcement to track BTC, a point of data collection in counterintelligence operations. Although Ellis's comments indicate that Bitcoin is maturing as an asset, they also reflect the increasing participation of governments and institutions in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This growing participation runs counter to the liberal and cypherpunk spirit that cryptocurrencies originally contained.