This post was originally published on this site.
In a conversation with KOSU, reporter Katie Wiehe said she got interested in Oklahoma’s Bitcoin mines after state lawmakers passed what she calls “pre-emptive deregulation” for such operations in 2024. That measure, House Bill 3594, required incentives and regulations for cryptocurrency mines and data centers be the same.
That’s despite key differences between who uses and profits from the facilities.
“When you’re looking at cryptocurrency mines — Bitcoin mines — it’s essentially just a self-enrichment process for the investors, for the people involved in the mines,” Wiehe said. “There’s not a lot of tangible products being produced for consumers despite all of that resource use.”
You can listen to the conversation with Wiehe and Matt Carney about their reporting, or read the full story at The Pickup.