Officials in the United States government are reportedly monitoring cryptocurrency mining operations with ties to China. Many Bitcoin data centers in the US are said to be directly linked to the Chinese government, raising concerns about their proximity to military bases and national security. One specific mining operation in Wyoming, located near a Microsoft data center supporting Pentagon operations, is being closely watched. While Microsoft has no evidence of malicious activities by this entity, the presence of an industrial-level cryptomining operation and unidentified Chinese nationals near strategic missile bases poses significant threat vectors. The company behind the mining operation, Bit Origin, chose the location due to an agreement with local utility providers rather than its proximity to the Microsoft facility. The firm recently shifted its operations from Indiana to Wyoming and reported having 3,200 miners deployed with a hash rate of 320 petahash per second. The report highlights the potential ramifications of establishing mining operations linked to the Chinese government amid political tensions between the US and China. Many mining companies have relocated to the US, particularly to crypto-friendly jurisdictions like Texas and Wyoming, after the Chinese government banned their operations in 2021. US authorities have also targeted individuals and firms connected to China through cryptocurrency, including the recent Treasury Department sanctions on crypto wallets allegedly tied to the production of the drug fentanyl. The claims of crypto firm Prometheum having ties to the Chinese government have also prompted calls for an investigation by members of Congress.

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Information	Details
Geography	North America
Countries	🇨🇳 🇺🇸
Sentiment	neutral
Relevance Score	1
People	None
Companies	Treasury Department, Bit Origin, Prometheum, Microsoft
Currencies	Bitcoin
Securities	None