Today, in New Hampshire, USA, the State Senate will meet to vote on the bill that prohibits the regulation of crypto mining. Proposed by Representative Keith Ammon, bill 639 is designed to protect individuals who can conduct cryptocurrency mining from home.
New Hampshire and the bill that prohibits the regulation of crypto mining
In the US State of New Hampshire, the Senate legislators are about to vote on the bill that prohibits the regulation of cryptocurrency mining.
According to what reported, the proposal was submitted by Representative Keith Ammon, a Republican from New Boston, who wants to give confidence to the crypto sector.
In practice, this bill “HB 639” would prohibit state agencies and local officials from regulating cryptocurrency mining. Not only that, the goal is to protect individuals who can conduct cryptocurrency mining at home.
By doing so, state agencies and local officials could not, for example, set sound limits on cryptocurrency mining, even if miners would have to comply with other sound ordinances. Furthermore, they could not charge cryptocurrency miners an additional cost for the excessive impact they have on the power grid. Not only that, they could not prevent people from using cryptocurrencies to buy or sell items.
In this regard, in a recent hearing at the Senate, Ammon stated the following:
“The advantage of projecting that we are in favor of mining is that it can help incentivize future generations. We want to move away from this scarcity mindset, according to which there is only a fixed pie of so much energy to distribute.”
Last month, HB 639 received its approval in the House of Representatives of New Hampshire, and today it is the Senate’s turn to cast its vote.
New Hampshire: the proposal on “free” crypto mining criticized by environmentalists
On the other hand, Ammon’s bill was indeed acclaimed by libertarians and the cryptocurrency lobby but criticized by environmentalists.
In fact, Ammon has publicly dismissed all environmental concerns about the effect of crypto on the planet and on electrical grids.
Here are his words on the matter:
“There are those who believe that Bitcoin mining will raise the oceans, that we will all drown, that we will boil the seas or things like that. This section does nothing but prevent municipalities from discriminating against the use of energy.”
To leverage against HB 639, Cathy Corkery, director of the New Hampshire Sierra Club chapter, reportedly wrote the following:
“The reality is that it is not just about a guy with a computer. It is about supercomputers that consume a lot of energy.”
Specifically, Corkery and his colleagues have criticized crypto mining for several reasons, such as its continuous 24-hour operation, and noisy, which disturbs the neighborhood. But also the high-energy intensity activity, which causes carbon dioxide emissions and could strain the power grid.
Not only that, many crypto mining operations also use a lot of water to cool the equipment. This leads to concerns about a rise in bills and that the hot water expelled from the facilities could harm the wildlife.
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The situation outside the USA
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While in New Hampshire there is a struggle to free crypto mining from strict regulation and criticism from environmentalists, industry companies outside the USA are targeting Latin America.
Hive Digital Technologies, for example, a Canadian company specializing in Bitcoin mining, has recently invested in Paraguay as a long-term strategic partner. In practice, it seems that Paraguay enjoys an ideal combination of geopolitical stability, low-cost hydroelectric power, and openness to foreign investments.
Always outside the USA, recently there has been talk of Phoenix Group, a Bitcoin mining company listed in the United Arab Emirates, and its Q1 2025 revenues showing a sharp decline compared to previous periods.
Despite this, the UAE company already part of the top 10 Bitcoin miners by market cap, remains ambitious in wanting to enter the top 5 by 2026.
