Tampa-based Ace Host Becomes a Leader in Cryptocurrency Mining • St Pete Catalyst

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Mining cryptocurrency has grown into a big business, with Fortune reporting that it may now be the most profitable industry in the world, overtaking traditional leaders such as Big Pharma and software vendors.

Thanks to Russel Bruno and Ace Host, the Tampa Bay area can boast of being a leader in the rapidly growing industry.

Bruno is the CEO of Ace Host, a data center provider based in Tampa. Ace Host operates both a traditional data center with the additional capacity of crypto mining, as well as a standalone facility entirely dedicated to mining. A data center houses the computer hardware and equipment needed to connect to networks. Basically, data centers provide organizations with three basic elements necessary to meet their computing needs: power, connectivity, and cooling.

“We’ve been in mining for eight years now,” Bruno said. “We have been doing this for a long time and understand the crypto space and the mining space very well.”

Data centers are also mission critical facilities – they must remain secure and operational at all times, even during an event that would otherwise cause widespread disruption. No tolerance for downtime means multiple power sources and connections to a larger network infrastructure are critical, and Ace Host guarantees 99.9% uptime.

These distinct characteristics also make data centers particularly suitable for crypto mining.

“I can get them (minors) up and running immediately,” says Bruno. “This is how it translates to anyone.

“Everyone is obsessed with mining. Everyone is looking to make money.

In addition to self-exploitation, Bruno uses his facilities to host mining operations for other companies and individuals. Potential customers can fill out a small online form and receive a free quote for colocation services, depending on the equipment needed and the room they intend to operate.

Colocation data centers allow miners to bring their machines online immediately with little upfront cost. In addition to critical infrastructure redundancies and security measures, Ace Host’s downtown Tampa stand-alone facility is also rated to withstand a Category 4 hurricane.

As the widespread adoption of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency becomes mainstream, activity has increased dramatically.

“Just last month, I received 400 leads for mining; I mean, it’s absurd, ”Bruno said. “We’re going to be out of our hands at a facility. “

Energy is the lifeblood of mining operations, and Bruno is always on the lookout for more. Bruno said he was part of a group that recently signed a letter of intent to buy an old power plant in Auburndale. He said he was looking for partners and discussing with municipalities to install machines and take over places with additional space.

“We are real miners, but above all I am a real technologist,” says Bruno. “I believe in the industry, and I believe in where it’s going.”

Bruno, who got his start in mining years ago setting up operations for a company in Iceland, calls himself a pioneer in space. He believes news about the booming industry has been slow to reach the masses due to the tight-knit nature of the mining community and because people have been self-mining for so long. He is now encouraging other industry players to share the wealth, especially in the Tampa Bay area.

“I’m here, I’ve done really, really well and I believe in Tampa,” he said.

Bruno has been in the area since 1994 and played baseball for the University of Tampa. He sits on the alumni board and has used his expertise in mining and Bitcoin to find creative ways to raise funds for the program.

In addition to managing two major facilities in Tampa, Bruno and his team also manage facilities for two of the country’s largest mining companies. Bruno said he had managed around 8,000 miners “in the west” for almost three years. The automation software does most of the work, and a team of technicians make sure the software runs continuously.

“At the end of the day, there just aren’t a lot of people doing what we’re doing on this scale,” says Bruno.

Colocation data centers allow miners to bring their machines online immediately with little upfront cost.

Bruno said he has invested around $ 2 million and 3.5 megawatts of electricity in his downtown Tampa facility. The old Auburndale power station can produce up to 300 megawatts, but it will take about a year to get back into service. Bruno has a team of scouts scouring the country for power, and they recently got eight megawatts from Indiana.

However, Bruno is making it clear that he wants to keep operations in Florida and as close to the Tampa Bay area as possible. He recently met with the Florida Power Commissioners Association and is in talks with Lakeland Electric to take over some of its buildings.

Many of these old facilities and municipalities have excess electricity but nothing to use it on, and the people who operate them lack the know-how to reassign them to mining operations. Mining operations that can potentially bring a huge amount of additional funding to a city.

“We’re really on the road with a lot of different groups to see where we can go against places that have more power,” said Bruno. “We just made a deal with a location that has five megawatts of power – just sitting there.”

Bruno says he would love to return to the St. Pete area – all he needs is space and power. He encourages local authorities to contact him or contact other miners, to see what they need and how the operations can benefit the city.

Bruno formerly operated a 90,000 square foot facility in the Gandy area and purchased the “Silicon Gandy” domain name. Bruno said he found it amusing that years later people now compare the region to a young Silicon Valley due to its emergence as a leader in the fintech industry.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he adds. “We need more businesses that will embrace the Tampa Bay area.

“The economy is excellent and it remains affordable. It is a good place to live.

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