Canadian border town suspends Bitcoin mining for cosmetic reasons

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Massena, a New York city along the border with Canada, has temporarily suspended new Bitcoin (BTC) mining operations in the region.

According to a report released by The Associated Press on Friday, officials in the city of Massena have imposed a 90-day moratorium on new Bitcoin mining activity due to cosmetic concerns.

Steve OShaughnessy, a supervisor in the city of Massena, said the miners were clogging the roads with trailers loaded with computers and other hardware needed to mine Bitcoin. The AP report cited OShaughnessys’ statement to WWNY-TV, saying:

We don’t want it to be littered with these trailers pumping Bitcoin. We just want to make sure that if they’re going to come here it’s a beautiful, presentable building.

City officials are reportedly using the 90-day moratorium to ensure roadsides in Massena are cleared of trailers and shipping containers are moved off-road.

Meanwhile, Massena Electric is reportedly looking to sign deals with three crypto companies. According to the AP report, the power company also has its own moratorium on working with new crypto miners.

Related: Four North American Bitcoin Miners Who Could Benefit From the East-West Shift

With small North American border towns having hemorrhaged factory jobs over the past decade, Bitcoin and crypto mining operations represent a return of some industrial activity in places like Massena.

Cheap electricity in these areas is often a major draw for Bitcoin miners, and in return, these companies hold the promise of jobs and spiking the local economy.

Indeed, with the massive crackdown on crypto-mining in China and the expected migration of the hash rate from east to west, these small North American towns could accommodate more Bitcoin mining activity.

Meanwhile, major Bitcoin mining operations in North America continue to ramp up capacity amid the current hash rate drop in an attempt to capture more of the market.

North American Bitcoin miners controlling a greater share of the global hash rate distribution may also help put the industry in a better position with regulators, especially in the area of ​​environmental conservation.

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