Tag Archives: cryptocurrency

On cryptomining and power plants

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I say again, there’s a political opportunity here, and it involves being on the right side of an issue. About 150 angry residents gathered in a conference center here on Monday for a public meeting hosted by the state environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On cryptomining and power plants

More on the cryptomining noise problem

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It does sound like hell. Over the course of several months in 2024, TIME spoke to more than 40 people in the Granbury area who reported a medical ailment that they believe is connected to the arrival of the Bitcoin … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the cryptomining noise problem

Now we’re concerned about crypto mining?

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

So, are we like gonna roll up the red carpet we laid out for these guys a couple of years ago? Texas is now home to 10 of 34 large Bitcoin mines. During cold spells or heat waves, Texans are … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Now we’re concerned about crypto mining?

Crypto miners really don’t want to tell us how much energy they consume

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

And for now at least, they don’t have to. U.S. officials this week indefinitely withdrew a survey aimed at gathering information on the crypto-mining industry’s power use, hindering attempts to understand the sector’s impact on grids and energy prices at … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Some rocky times for Texas’ cryptocurrency miners

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Their boundless optimism never wavers, however. Cryptocurrency miners began flocking to Texas in the past five years, drawn by the state’s low energy costs and relaxed regulations. As they began setting up shop, lawmakers and local officials were touting the boom as an economic lifeline … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some rocky times for Texas’ cryptocurrency miners

In which I ponder the future of cryptomining

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I know I’m stepping away from things I have knowledge and experience with when I comment on stories like this, but sometimes I just can’t help myself. Beleaguered crypto lenders are being dealt another blow from Bitcoin miners as they … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on In which I ponder the future of cryptomining

Yeah, the crypto lovers here are still all in

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, at least they’re consistent. The crypto community in Austin was buzzing. Hundreds of investors, legislators, professionals and enthusiasts packed the halls of the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas on Nov. 17-18 for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who else can we think of who’s alleged to have violated Texas securities law?

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Into every story about cryptocurrency, some amount of absurdity is sure to follow. Texas is investigating celebrities who had endorsed FTX, the now bankrupt cryptocurrency firm, for potentially violating state securities laws. The Texas State Securities Board started looking into FTX’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who else can we think of who’s alleged to have violated Texas securities law?

The cryptomining surge in rural counties

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one possible answer to that question I posed the other day. Jacob Rodriguez was driving a John Deere tractor in a West Texas cotton field when he received a phone call that would change his life. “I was pulling … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tell me again why we’re encouraging all these crypto-miners to come to Texas

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously, what are we doing here? Cryptocurrency miners are accelerating their push to expand in Texas far beyond what authorities had initially expected, threatening to send the state’s electricity use skyrocketing. Enough miners have applied to connect to Texas’s power … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bitcoin and the firefighters’ pension fund

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. When the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund bought $25 million in cryptocurrencies, with the fund’s chief investment officer touting their potential, retired fire Capt. Russell Harris was concerned. Harris, 62, has attended the funerals of 34 firefighters killed … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sure hope our grid can handle a bunch of crypto

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. With interest surging in digital currencies and the blockchain technology behind them, more and more investors and operators are turning to Texas, lured by its cheap energy and hands-off regulatory approach. The … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sure hope our grid can handle a bunch of crypto

Speaking of cryptocurrency and electricity usage…

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Congress has a few questions. From wind farms in West Texas to an old aluminum refining operation outside Austin, crypto miners are flooding into Texas take advantage of some of the cheapest power in the country and positioning the state … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Speaking of cryptocurrency and electricity usage…