Cryptocurrency miners are welcome in Wyoming, according to US lawmaker and bitcoin advocate Cynthia Lummis. The senator justified bitcoin’s carbon footprint in a recent interview and encouraged miners to her home state on social media.
Crypto mining companies have been seriously exploring for friendlier jurisdictions to transfer operations due to China’s growing crackdown. In the United States, some interesting locations eye the void, with Texas and Florida being two of the most renowned examples. Both states have the ability to provide crypto miners with affordable energy.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis took to twitter to welcome crypto miners to Wyoming and encourage them to contact her. Wyoming, which has long been supportive of cryptocurrencies, has the potential to become the next bitcoin mining hub.
Lummis made her plea on Twitter on Saturday, sharing a clip from her CNBC Financial Advisor Summit. In the interview, she defended Bitcoin’s environmental record. “Bitcoin mining is already more environmentally adapted to non-carbon emitting energy sources,” she reckoned. According to a University of Cambridge study, bitcoin mining consumes 40% renewable energy, compared to 12% in the non-mining sector.
Wyoming’s senator also brought up the “behind-the-scenes innovation” in the crypto mining business, citing her state as an example. Wyoming is an oil and gas producer, and when E&P companies develop a new well, they don’t immediately connect it to a pipeline, according to Sen. Lummis. With mobile mining platforms, bitcoin miners are helping to utilise gas that would otherwise vent into the atmosphere.
“I would say – don’t judge bitcoin mining as an energy bad guy. There are a lot of things going on to prove otherwise,” The lawmaker said.
In the United States, the race to attract crypto miners is on, with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez recently putting his best foot forward to woo mining businesses departing China.