Largest bitcoin miner in Texas shuts down

Workers install a new row of Bitcoin mining machines at the Whinstone US Bitcoin mining facility in Rockdale, Texas. - File pic

NEW YORK: Crypto miner Riot Blockchain Inc shut down most of its huge bitcoin-making operation in Texas to conserve electricity as a wave of cold and ice deliver the biggest test of the state’s power grid since last year’s deadly blackouts.

On Tuesday morning, Riot voluntarily began to reduce power to bitcoin mining servers at the Whinstone facility, located northeast of Austin, company spokesperson Trystine Payfer said by email. By Wednesday, the mine had cut energy use by roughly 98%.