US Senators Introduce Bill to Ban China-Linked Crypto Mining Hardware
Republican senators Bill Cassidy and Cynthia Lummis have introduced legislation to ban US crypto mining operations from using hardware linked to China and other foreign adversaries. The bill, aimed at securing supply chains and bolstering US manufacturing, would force certified mining facilities to phase out equipment sourced from hostile nations.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership would assist domestic manufacturers in building secure, energy-efficient mining equipment. This move reflects Trump's 2024 campaign promise to bring Bitcoin mining back to American soil, although recent tariff policies have complicated that effort due to reliance on Chinese hardware.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has also raised concerns about national security risks tied to Chinese mining hardware, sending a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeking documents about Bitmain Technologies Ltd., a Beijing-based firm that sells most of the world's Bitcoin mining rigs. Eric Trump, the president's second-oldest son, co-founded American Bitcoin Corp., which plans to deploy thousands of Bitmain's Antminers and develop a massive data center in Texas.