by Travis Mateer
The progeny of two Missoula-based names that sing the song KA-CHING have announced their intention to turn 77 acres in North Dakota into a $1.9 billion dollar crypto-mining facility.
Here is Rick Tabish, Kevin Washington and the Governor of North Dakota discussing the plan to build out this vast infrastructure near the eastern border of Montana:
Tabish is president of FX Options Inc., an organization registered in Missoula. Washington, the son of Missoula-based billionaire Dennis Washington, is the founding father of Atlas Energy.
Tabish, Washington and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum held a press convention on Wednesday in Williston to speak in regards to the challenge.
Washington mentioned he needs to “create the most important cryptocurrency firm on the planet with a carbon-neutral footprint.” To take action, they’ll make the most of carbon seize expertise, and Burgum has mentioned that the state has permitted a minimum of two carbon seize tasks.
Cold, northern states with low energy costs are quite attractive for building the physical engines of intangible digital coins. And the use of energy is what Missoula County focused on around this time last year when instituting permanent zoning. From the link:
Saying it consumed a “grotesque” amount of energy, Missoula County this week unanimously adopted permanent zoning that regulates where the mining of cryptocurrency can take place, and the type of energy it can use to power the process.
Citing a moral imperative to address the climate crisis, the new regulations require any cryptocurrency mining operation within the county to either purchase or develop enough new renewable energy to offset 100% of its electrical consumption.
Personally, though marginally invested in Bitcoin, I have no idea what to make of this rise of digital currencies. I can see both positive applications and also a very real possibility of technocratic enslavement.
One thing I’m fairly certain of, nothing good comes from ignoring potential problems. Digital currencies are here. What we choose to do with them is up to us.