Buncombe County in North Carolina is proposing a one-year moratorium on cryptocurrency mining, starting from May 2, 2023, according to a report by Citizen-Times.
The proposal excludes single-device mining but applies to server farms, which are defined as any mining operation involving three or more computers.
The county officials reportedly intend to define crypto mining as a specific land use and distinguish it from other data center applications.
The reason behind the temporary ban is the high electricity consumption, environmental damage, electronic waste, and noise pollution caused by crypto mining.
The ban may end earlier if officials create a regulatory standard for crypto mining before the deadline. This move is similar to the one taken by other jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, which imposed a temporary ban on crypto mining in December 2022.
