4 States Attract The Most Miners

Dataset from Foundry shows that four states in the U.S. have the highest Bitcoin hash rate distribution. The dataset shows that many Bitcoin miners are headed to New York, Kentucky, Georgia, and Texas.

Foundry U.S. is the largest mining pool in North America and the fifth-largest globally. The hash rate is a measure of collective mining power. A mining pool enables miners to combine their hashing power with other miners all over the world.

Bitcoin Mining In The U.S.

According to the data, within the U.S., New York accounts for 19.9% of bitcoin’s hash rate, 18.7% in Kentucky, 17.3% is in Georgia, and 14% in Texas.

Source: Foundry U.S.

At the Texas Blockchain Summit in Austin on October 8, 2021, Nic Carter, co-founder of Castle Island Ventures, presented Foundry’s data. “This is the first time we’ve actually had state-level insight on where miners are unless you wanted to go cobble through all the public filings and try to figure it out that way,”

He added that “This is a much more efficient way of figuring out where mining occurs in America.”

However, Carter pointed out that the Foundry dataset does not consider all the U.S. mining hash rates as not all U.S.-based mining farms use its services. One of the largest publicly traded mining companies in America,
Riot Blockchain, with a huge presence in Texas, does not use Foundry. Therefore, the dataset does not account for its hash rate. Texas’ mining presence is understated and could possibly be higher than the 14% quoted.

BTC trading at over $55K | Source: BTCUSD on TradingView.com

Many of the states with the highest Bitcoin hash rates also have high proportions of renewable energy. This fact may have started changing the narrative that bitcoin is bad for the environment.

Related Reading | $425bn Wiped Off Crypto Market As Musk Says Bitcoin Is Bad For The Environment

According to CNBC, a lot of the miners are moving to these states because they have cheap and renewable sources of power. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that a third of New York’s in-state generation comes from renewables sources. Kentucky, which has the second-highest hash rate, is also known for its hydroelectric and wind power. The state’s government recently passed a law that grants certain tax exemptions to crypto mining operations.

Carter also said that the migration of miners to the U.S. is positive because it means much lower carbon intensity.

Texas Leads Bitcoin Mining

Although Texas ranks fourth according to the data, experts believe it is the top mining destination in the U.S. The state houses mining giants like Riot Blockchain, and the Chinese mining service platform Bitdeer.

A report from earlier this year shows that large orders for mining ASICs are also being delivered to Texas.

Related Reading | Bitcoin Mining Moves to Texas, Bitmain Announces Partner for Massive New Facility

Crypto-friendly lawmakers, a deregulated power grid with real-time spot pricing, and access to significant renewable energy, as well as stranded or flared natural gas, are what make Texas attractive to miners, according to CNBC.

Featured image by Finance Magnates, Chart from TradingView.com