Softwar Chapter 6: Policy, Power, and the Future of Bitcoin
Below is a concise but detailed summary of Chapter 6, “Recommendations & Conclusion,” from Softwar: A Novel Theory on Power Projection and the National Strategic Significance of Bitcoin.
By this point in the thesis, Lowery has laid out his “Power Projection Theory,” applied it to both natural and human societies, and then linked it to Bitcoin as a tool of non-kinetic, electro-cyber warfare.
In this closing chapter, he reiterates core insights and presents specific suggestions for policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders.
Chapter 6: Recommendations & Conclusion
6.1 Key Takeaways
Lowery begins by revisiting the thesis’s guiding idea:
Proof-of-work is far more than just a “cryptocurrency mining” mechanism; it’s a physical cost function that can impose real-world energy expenses on attackers.
Bitcoin may be the first large-scale demonstration of this new type of cyber security technology—a “softwar” protocol leveraging actual physical power (in watts) to deter malicious activity in cyberspace.
National Strategic Significance: Lowery stresses that nations should view proof-of-work as a potential game-changer for secure digital infrastructure. It’s not simply a payment network; it’s a form of non-lethal defense that could give nations a huge advantage in cyber conflict.
He emphasizes that the ability to convert electricity into “bitpower” (his shorthand for the physical security behind Bitcoin) could fundamentally reshape how societies secure digital resources—much like nuclear power reshaped warfare in the 20th century.
Recommended reading for more context: The section spelling out the “softwar” concept as a parallel to other military branches—Army, Navy, Air Force, etc., all revolve around projecting power in physical domains; Bitcoin (or proof-of-work) is how one might do it in cyberspace.
6.2 Recommendations for Future Research
Lowery calls for a more robust, multi-disciplinary inquiry into proof-of-work protocols. He sees at least three broad research agendas:
Technical Studies: Refine and optimize proof-of-work or new variants to make them more energy-efficient while preserving their security properties.
Strategic Modeling: In-depth war-gaming and simulations of how global-scale proof-of-work might function within international tensions—evaluating scenarios where multiple nations, or adversarial actors, heavily invest in mining infrastructure.
Socioeconomic Impacts: Analysis of how widespread adoption of a proof-of-work security layer affects economic inequality, energy markets, and geopolitics.
He reiterates his key concern: if decision makers cling only to economic or monetary analyses of Bitcoin, they may overlook its broader security capabilities—thus missing opportunities (and risks) at the strategic level.
Recommended reading for more context: The bullet points or lists of different research streams, where Lowery describes specific knowledge gaps (e.g., measuring how much cyber deterrence is achieved by a given hashing power).
6.3 Recommendations for Future Policy Making Efforts
Drawing on his background as a U.S. Space Force officer and national defense fellow, Lowery offers policy suggestions:
Encourage Domestic Mining Infrastructure: If the U.S. or other democratic nations don’t support proof-of-work mining, they risk ceding “bitpower dominance” to rival states who do.
National Reserve of Bitcoin: He suggests exploring the strategic value of holding BTC in treasury or reserve, akin to holding gold—only with an important difference: the network itself physically secures the asset.
Regulatory Clarity: Governments should avoid lumping Bitcoin in with other digital assets that don’t rely on proof-of-work. A nuanced approach could encourage innovation in proof-of-work technologies, while imposing separate rules for speculative tokens that lack similar security properties.
International Collaboration: Lowery muses on whether a “NATO of Proof-of-Work” could be formed, so allied nations coordinate large-scale mining operations to ensure adversarial states can’t dominate network consensus.
He underscores that policy makers must recognize that if proof-of-work is indeed a valuable power projection technology, speed of adoption matters for national security—just as with any other disruptive military innovation.
Recommended reading for more context: The passages laying out how supporting or neglecting proof-of-work adoption echoes historical moments when empires either embraced or ignored emerging weapons.
6.4 Closing Thoughts
Lowery ends on a forward-looking note:
He reiterates that “softwar” is not a mere metaphor; it is a new paradigm for conflict deterrence—non-lethal, energy-driven, globally distributed.
He acknowledges that this perspective is still controversial. Many remain skeptical, focusing on Bitcoin’s price volatility or environmental critiques rather than potential security benefits.
Nonetheless, he invites readers to re-examine their assumptions. If physical power truly determines resource security in every domain (land, sea, air, space), there’s no inherent reason cyberspace should be different—Bitcoin’s proof-of-work is, in his view, the first practical manifestation of “physical power in cyberspace.”
The fundamental conclusion of the thesis:
Bitcoin and other proof-of-work protocols may lay the groundwork for a future in which nations compete for cyber superiority primarily by investing in real power (energy), rather than building bigger bombs or better hacking toolkits.
If so, that represents a meaningful shift in warfare and geopolitics—one that calls for immediate consideration by policy, industry, and academia.
Chapter 6 Summary
Chapter 6 is Lowery’s synthesis and call to action, linking all the preceding analysis to concrete recommendations:
Recognize proof-of-work’s strategic role and not just its financial or technological aspects.
Adopt proactive policies to ensure your nation or organization participates in (and potentially leads) this new “electro-cyber power projection” system.
Conduct serious research into how global proof-of-work infrastructure might change the security landscape and either reduce or exacerbate conflicts.
Lowery closes by reiterating that the worst mistake would be to ignore or oversimplify this technology’s potential.
If proof-of-work is as foundational as he argues, then failing to grasp it soon could leave a nation behind in the next evolution of warfighting—a scenario that has repeated in history when empires underestimated new power projection technologies.
Sections to Revisit for More Depth
6.1 Key Takeaways – Distills the thesis’s central ideas and how they relate to national security.
6.2 Recommendations for Future Research – Offers specific research pathways, especially around technical improvements and strategic modeling.
6.3 Recommendations for Future Policy – Outlines how governments might incorporate proof-of-work in defense and financial strategies, reminiscent of how militaries plan around nuclear or conventional deterrence.
6.4 Closing Thoughts – The final philosophical framing, explaining why “softwar” may become an important part of 21st-century conflict deterrence.
That captures Chapter 6’s main arguments and structure, along with pointers for deeper reading. Feel free to comment if you have unique insights on any particular section.