Hawkins County Bans Crypto Mining Facilities and Data Centers

Tennessee's Hawkins County has taken another step towards restricting cryptocurrency operations within its borders. On Monday, the county commissioners voted unanimously to ban crypto mining facilities and data centers in unincorporated areas of the county. This move comes just over a year after a similar ban was passed in September 2025.

The latest ban follows a proposal by ExoticRidge mining company, which had been seeking to establish operations in the county. However, after a settlement was proposed in January this year, allowing the company to construct and run its facility with noise restrictions, the county commissioners decided to take a firmer stance.

The proposed terms of the settlement would have restricted ExoticRidge from operating at more than 80 A-weighted decibels (dBA) at the property line for more than 30 minutes during any four-hour period. This restriction was aimed at addressing concerns over noise pollution, but it seems that the county commissioners were not convinced by this compromise.

This move is part of a broader effort by Tennessee officials to regulate cryptocurrency operations within the state. In July, the use and installation of cryptocurrency ATMs and kiosks became illegal under a Tennessee law signed in April. The restriction was put in place after incidents of residents, particularly senior citizens, using these machines to send funds to scammers.