US authorities allow the possibility of banning mining

Cryptocurrency miners, with the help of federal agencies, must reduce their carbon footprint

09.09.2022 - 14:30

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What’s new? The White House has expressed concern that mining could have a negative impact on the environment. President Joe Biden's administration and regulators have begun discussing the introduction of measures regarding the carbon footprint of cryptocurrency mining. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy did not propose particular rules, the report said, noting that the US should take steps to reduce emissions associated with mining.

Report by the Office of Science and Technology Policy

What does the report say? The document states that miners are encouraged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the participation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy and other federal agencies. State agencies should provide technical assistance and initiate a process to work with states, the cryptocurrency community and other organizations to develop effective technologies based on environmental standards.

Earlier, members of the US House of Representatives from the Energy and Commerce Committee asked four mining companies for data on the environmental impact of their operations. The companies included Core Scientific, Riot Blockchain, Marathon Digital and Stronghold Digital. All of the firms listed are of public record.

In June, the New York State Senate approved a two-year moratorium on PoW mining. The ban would apply to mining using non-renewable energy sources. The bill must be signed by the governor to go into effect.

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